


A Chance to Change

by MosukeHinata



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Character Bashing, Child Abuse, F/F, F/M, Good!Dark Side, M/M, Manipulative Dumbledore, Mpreg, Multi, Twincest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-10-20
Updated: 2013-09-10
Packaged: 2017-11-16 17:16:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 35,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/541912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MosukeHinata/pseuds/MosukeHinata
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day before he marries Ginny, Harry goes to Gringotts to get his accounts in order. There, he uncovers something he hadn't expected. While unbinding his magic, he makes a wish to go back and redo everything. He has a mission: befriend Draco Malfoy and win the heart of Severus Snape.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Trip to Gringotts

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Harry grins as he shifts the silk black robes on his shoulders. Yes. Tomorrow is the big day, the day he'll finally marry Ginevra Weasley, the love of his life. He sighs happily and walks out of his little room in the Burrow. He walks down the stairs and heads to the entrance in the dining room.

He glances to his right and grins at George who was sitting at the table, writing up the schematics for another new WWW product. Harry walks up to the table. "Hey, George," he says, attempting to get a glimpse of the new product and failing as George had used a charm to hide what was written.

The aforementioned Weasley looks up at his soon-to-be brother-in-law. "Hey Harry, where you headed?" he asks, smiling up at him with a grin.

"To Gringotts; I've got to get my accounts in order for the wedding; I'll catch you later, okay?" He says, walking out the front door. George stares after him with a slight frown. Why had his mother asked him to stop Harry if he was going to Gringotts? Whatever, it's not his place to interfere; he'll just lie and say he didn't see him leave. He turns back to his new invention with a sad smile; working on these products always reminded him of his lost twin brother and love, Fred.

* * *

Harry stares up at the imposing building of Gringotts. He sighs in relief when he realizes that they had fixed the place since he was last there. The whole dragon incident was really destructive. He hesitantly walks up the steps and strides through the doors. Maybe the Goblins wouldn't hate him for destroying their bank a few years back.

He hesitantly walks up towards the new head goblin, whose name he didn't yet know. He clears his throat and opens his mouth to speak, but before he can say anything, the goblin speaks to him. "Ah, Lord Potter, we've been meaning to speak with you."

Harry hesitates and blinks. _Lord_ Potter? Since when did he obtain lord status? "Speak with me about the wedding, right? Well, that's why I'm here."

The goblin looks at Harry strangely. "No. We've been trying to contact you about your parents', the previous Lord Black's, Tom Riddle's, and Remus Lupin's wills." Hadn't the boy gotten any of their missives?

Harry frowns. "Wait. They all had wills? And why do I need to hear Voldemort's will? That doesn't make any sense." Confusion spreads through his mind and takes hold of his features.

The goblin sighs and calls out in Gobbledygook. Apparently that blasted old man can still manipulate lives even from his rightful place in Hell. He turns back to Harry when another goblin approaches. "Lord Potter, Ragnok here will sort all this out. Just follow him into his office."

Even when disoriented, Harry doesn't ignore his manners—how could he when they were painfully instilled in him at a young age; and bows to the head goblin, saying, "May your gold forever flow." He turns and follows after Ragnok, missing the looks of surprise on all the goblins' within hearing distance faces.

He follows the other goblin into his office and takes the seat in front of him. As the goblin makes his way around the desk, Harry becomes restless, dread sitting icily in the pit of his stomach. Why did he get the feeling this visit will most likely end badly? "What's this about these wills?" He blurts out, not being able to hold in his confusion.

The goblin sighs. "Yes, well, you were supposed to see your parents will on your eleventh birthday. Dumbledore had told us he had it under control but it appears that he did not follow through with the order." He holds out four papers for Harry to take, murmuring, "I might as well just let you read them."

Harry cautiously takes the four parchments and holds them out in front of him. Did he really want to read this? He was originally here for Ginny so that she can be with him. Yet, why was that one of the furthest things from his mind?

_I, James Harold Potter, and I, Lily Potter, being of sound mind and body, do hereby declare this to be our last will and testament, rendering all previous wills null and void._

_If you're reading this, than I guess that means we've died. Harry, if things didn't go the way we wished, we hope you realize that we love you. Please, it was not your fault that we died, so please never blame yourself. You were our own little angel; we love you no matter what. Now we move onto the good part._

_To Remus Lupin, we leave 1 million galleons. You can't give it back because we're dead, use it, and be happy. Settle down with a certain scruffy-looking animagus if you wish. Have a bunch of pups together, you know the drill._

_To Sirius Black, we leave 1 million galleons as well. We know you don't need it, but you've been a great friend to us and we don't really know how to thank you. Well, except we also leave our estate in the Norwegian countryside. Yeah, I know it's in a weird place, but it was always really peaceful with a big forest for certain dogs and wolves to prance around in contentment._

_To Severus Snape, we leave 2 million galleons, the Potter's golden potions equipment, a five year membership to that apothecary in America that has rare ingredients(note that this membership won't activate until you personally go there), and finally our estate in France. James is sorry about what he'd done when we were at Hogwarts and we know this does nothing to alleviate the pain, but I hope it can help. Buy those rare potions ingredients that you've been wanting. You've always told me, Lily, that you've wanted to visit France, so now you have a house there of your own. I'd also like to let you know that I forgive you, Severus, and I'm sorry that I was unable to tell you earlier. And I, James, would like to **formally** apologize for the wrongs I have done unto you, Severus, I had no right and you are a person deserving of great respect. I'm sorry._

_And to our son, Harry James Potter, we leave all else. Use it wisely son and please don't trust Dumbledore. He is not the man he claims to be._

_On our son's eleventh birthday, he is to be emancipated from all guardianships. He will gain lord status immediately after being emancipated and will have free reign over all our vaults, not just the trust fund we leave for his school items in case Albus interferes somehow. And if we die before that time, he is to go and live with Sirius Orion Black. If that is somehow unachievable, he is to go to the following people **in this order** , moving down the list if he is unable to live with the next possible person:_

_Remus Lupin_

_Frank and Alice Longbottom_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Severus Snape_

_Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy_

**_Never_ ** _under **any** circumstances is he to be under the care of Albus Dumbledore or my sister and her husband, Petunia and Vernon Dursley. If all of the above names are not options, he is to go to a loving **wizarding** family._

_This concludes our last will and testament._

Harry's breath catches in his throat. Nothing in this will had come to pass. He was never to go to the Dursley's; he was never supposed to endure their abuse. Why would Albus overlook that, his parents trusted the **Malfoys** more than the Dursleys. "All the money had been moved as of your twelfth birthday," Ragnok says, noticing that Harry had finished reading this will, "but not to the places they've been supposed to." If they didn't go to the right places, then where did they go?

Harry didn't want to voice his question but he bites his lip and tentatively asks anyway. "W-where did it go than?"

"Remus Lupin's money was transferred into an account under the name of 'The Order of the Phoenix', Lord Black's earnings were transferred to an account under the name of 'Ronald Billius Weasley', and Severus Snape's money was transferred to an account under the name of 'Albus Dumbledore', the membership was sold for 1 million galleons and transferred into an account under the name of 'Molly Weasley', the potions equipment was taken out by Albus Dumbledore himself September 1, 1991; and the estate was transferred into an account for 'Ginevra Weasley' whom has also been getting a monthly allowance of 5000 galleons since September 1992 now totaling 480 thousand galleons from the Potter main vault." Ragnok pauses and looks up at the man in front of him.

Harry was staring at the desk in a mix of shock and horror. Was it all a lie? She was getting _paid_? He was about to marry someone who probably didn't love him. Then how come he loves her so much? That thought shocks him from his stupor. "Is there a way to check if I am under the influence of any spells or potions?"

Ragnok blinks. He hadn't been expecting that. "Yes, there is, but we can check after you read the remaining wills, they are really important."

Harry nods and looks down at the next will in his hands, Sirius'.

_I, Sirius Orion Black, being of sound mind(shut it Moony) and body, do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament, rendering all previous wills null and void._

_Okay…I'm dead. I just **know** that that bastard Albus was involved, so Harry; don't go beating yourself up about it! It's not your fault! However I die, it was probably that old geezer's fault, never yours. Okay, now that that's all cleared up, onto the money dishing._

_To Severus Snape, I leave 3 million galleons and a formal apology. I'm sorry, you didn't deserve what we did to you; I wish I could give you more, but you never really liked anything in my vaults. Well, except, I'll leave you my books, I never read them; hopefully there'll be something you like._

_To Remus Lupin, I leave half of my remaining fortune and all my estates in other countries. See the world, Remy, I knew you always wanted to. Please don't hold yourself up in a dimly lit room because you blame yourself for my death. I love you Remy, don't ever forget that._

_And to my one and only godson, Harry Potter, I leave all else I have yet to mention. You have gained the title of Lord Black, go have people piss their pants in fear. Use it well and give Dumbledick a punch in the face for me, will you? I love you Harry, not the same way as Remy, but you get the idea._

_This concludes my last will and testament._

Harry sucks in a breath. "This money never made it to the places it was supposed to either, did it?" At the goblin's shake of his head, Harry sighs and leans back in his chair. "Okay, where'd this money go to?"

Ragnok clears his throat and says, "Severus Snape's 3 million galleons was added to an account called, 'Potter-Weasley wedding', his books have been sent into the Hogwarts vault; Remus Lupin's money was sent to the main Weasley vault while his estates were being divvied up and added equally among the vaults entitled: 'Ronald Billius Weasley', 'Ginevra Weasley', and 'Molly Weasley'. And the rest of the Black vault, which was supposed to be given to you, Lord Potter, was sent to Albus Dumbledore's vault."

Harry was seething. That lying, manipulative bastard was stealing from him! He lost nearly everything! Well, at least nothing bad could have happened with Remy's will, right?

_I, Remus Lupin, being of sound mind and body, do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament, rendering all previous wills null and void._

_I'm sorry Harry, but I can't really give you much because I don't have a lot to give, but I'm leaving everything I own to you. I made some mistakes in the past that I wish I could have corrected, one being the acceptance of my inner wolf. It appears that when Sirius died, I should have been in more anguish than I was. I've found that the reason behind that, and it was that I, unlike most werewolves, have two mates, one being Sirius, and the other being my alpha, Fenrir Greyback. If I had accepted my wolf, I would have realized this and hopefully started the bond, but alas, due to Dumbledore's 'Light' views, my wolf was bad and I was to ignore it._

_I truly hope you can make the right decisions from now on Harry, and don't fall into that evil man's scheme!_

_This concludes my last will and testament._

Harry frowns. That was sad and confusing. Fenrir Greyback? He was found dead after the final battle, the Order claimed he was killed in vengeance by a light wizard when he truly committed suicide. Could it be because he was too overwhelmed with grief that both his mates had left him? He looks back up at Ragnok's grave expression. With a sigh, he asks, "Where did Remy's stuff go?"

"It was transferred to the Molly Weasley account."

Harry sighs and leans back in his chair. Well, now he knows who he can trust. Hermione was good, as well as George, and probably the older Weasleys, but not Molly, Ginny, or Ron. Great. Just great. He lost the friends he thought he had. What would have happened if he had accepted Draco's friendship?

He looks down at the last will. The one he was most curious about. With a sigh, he holds Tom Riddle's will closer so he could read it. What does that megalomaniac want now?

_I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, being of sound mind and body, do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament, rendering all previous wills null and void._

_My rival, Harry Potter, it appears that you have succeeded in killing me. To you, I leave all that's in the Slytherin vaults and I give you the title of Lord Slytherin. Use the power well, you have earned it. It has also come to my attention that in your possession are the vaults of Merlin, the vaults of Gryffindor, and the secondary vault of Salazar Slytherin. Thus, I also leave you with some advice: live life to the fullest because very few have another chance._

_There was a way to nullify the prophecy, alas I had found out too late. Actually, the prophecy had ended the minute my horcrux in you was destroyed. Neither can live while the other survives. It was speaking of you. Neither you nor the horcrux could live while the other survived. Only one could truly inhabit that body. Albus undoubtedly knew this._

_And to my beloved, Lucius Malfoy, I leave all my other possessions. I give you the title of Lord Riddle and my eternal love. My only wish was to have spent more time expressing that love. Forgive me, Lucius._

_This concludes my last will and testament._

Harry stares in shock. Voldemort and Lucius were in love? Ew. But it's none of his business. He was missing the main point. He owned two of the founders' vaults and Merlin's vaults. How? And apparently Dumbledore didn't know about these. And there was a way around the prophecy? How come he was never told! Dumbledore knew about it! Damn that man.

And what did he mean people can have another chance?

Harry seethes for a few minutes before calming enough to say, "I would like that test now."

Ragnok nods and pulls out a parchment and a golden knife. "Just one drop of blood should do. The check is free, but the cleansing is not."

Harry nods and picks up the blade. Slowly, he runs the edge over his left index finger and watches in morbid fascination as his blood drips onto the paper. His eyes snap back from the parchment to his finger as it begins to heal on its own. Strange, that had never happened before.

He looks back down at the parchment where the words were written in red ink, most likely his blood.

**_Name:_ ** _Harry James Potter_

**_Father:_ ** _James Harold Potter_

**_Mother:_ ** _Lily Potter née Evans_

**_Lord to the Houses of:_ **

_Potter_

_Black_

_Slytherin_

_Gryffindor_

_Merlin_

**_Blocks:_ ** _Magical block 95% (blocked by Albus Dumbledore October 31, 1981)_

_Comprehension block 30% spells, 80% potions, 99% martial arts, 85% general knowledge, and 90% logic (blocked by Albus Dumbledore October 31, 1981)_

_Vigilance block 75% (blocked by Albus Dumbledore September 30, 1991)_

_Untraceable Magic block 100% (blocked by Albus Dumbledore May 20, 1992)_

**_Spells:_ ** _25 Compulsion spells_

_56 Loyalty spells_

_10 Repulsion spells (Repel Severus Snape)_

_15 Repulsion spells (Repel Malfoy family)_

_50 Repulsion spells (Repel Tom Marvolo Riddle)_

_5 Repulsion spells (Repel Dark magical creatures)_

_22 Naivety spells_

**_Potions:_ ** _1975 Love Potions (Love Ginevra Weasley)_

_12 Ignorance Potions (Magical knowledge)_

_54 Meekness Potions_

_34 Loyalty and Compulsion Potions_

Harry fumes at the paper and the goblin's mouth drops. Never before has he seen someone so drugged and still living. Ragnok stares incredulously at the paper "1975 Love potions?" he asks. He breathes out, "How could someone have that many without being poisoned? And why would one need that many?"

Harry looks down at the paper. "I've always been stubborn," he murmurs, "and I think I might've been gay. Since I didn't really feel anything towards Ginny until after the war was over; I believe they started to dose me the moment I met her which was my first day at Hogwarts, but they didn't work as well as they hoped; then I guess they started giving me multiple a day to 'keep me in line'." He glares at the parchment. "And what the hell is with these blocks? Was he _trying_ to kill me?"

Harry scowls. Dumbledore was dumbing him down! The nerve of that man! And don't get him started on the repulsion spells. Repel dark magical creatures? Was he supposed to hate Remy? Damn that man! "He apparently thought of you as a major threat, Lord Potter-Black-Slytherin-Gryffindor-Merlin." Harry blinks at the long name.

"Just call me Harry. And when can you cleanse me of these horrid spells and potions?"

Ragnok blinks. Hardly any wizard asks to be called by their first name. "Well, this many potions and spells, it will cost quite a lot, but we can cleanse you straight away. But the blocks…I have never seen someone with your magical ability and have it only be 5% of their total ability for this long. Taking off the block, the resulting magical eruption could be catastrophic. We have no idea what would happen. If this had been when you were 11, we could probably reel in your magic enough to control it when it's first released, but once you entered your magical inheritance, which is 17 by the way, we have no idea what will happen."

Harry falls silent and looks long and hard at that paper. He didn't want this. He didn't want to marry Ginny, not anymore, not after what he's learned. "Cleanse me of everything. I am willing to take full responsibility for any consequences. But first, I have a question, what is 'untraceable magic'?"

"Untraceable magic is magic that the ministry cannot trace. It's basically the same as wandless and wordless magic. But, you'd have to use a certain part of your brain. To perform untraceable magic, focus on your index finger tip and when you hear a gentle humming, it will be untraceable. Just think the name and do the wand movements with you arm."

Harry nods. "Okay, thanks. Can we start the cleanse now?"

Ragnok nods and calls out in Gobbledygook. In comes another goblin. "Please take Lord Potter-Black-Slytherin-Gryffindor-Merlin to the cleansing room."

The goblin nods and leads Harry out of the room. Over his shoulder, Harry calls out, "May your gold forever flow." As they were walking down the hall, Harry glances at the goblin. "Thank you for doing this, Griphook."

The goblin pauses but doesn't stop walking. He looks up at Harry. "No one ever remembers a goblin's name."

Harry blinks. "Well, please call me Harry. And as I said before, thank you for what you are doing. I have recently discovered some disturbing news." He looks down at his feet. He wishes he didn't have to find out this way. He wishes that he had let the hat put him in his rightful house. He wishes he had taken Draco's friendship.

"Those were some truly disappointing developments. We goblins never trusted Dumbledore. He was manipulative and meddlesome. He was always sticking his nose into things that were none of his concern." Griphook stops and runs a finger nail over a crack in the stones in the wall in front of them.

The crack glows red before the stones slowly start to separate. The two walk into the room on the other side. Harry stares in awe at the vast space of the cleansing room. "Wow," he breathes out in shock.

"Yes, well, we have to release magical blocks at times and we need space for the magic to run wild," Griphook explains. "Go stand in the middle of the room and we'll start the ritual by removing your spells first."

Harry walks to the middle of the circle placed dead center of the room. Griphook stands off to the side, in front of a control panel of sorts. Harry looks up as the door opens once more and Ragnok walks in, holding a piece of paper. "Would you like to know how much this will cost, Harry?" Harry nods. "Well, each potion cost 100 galleons to cleanse, each spell cost 500 galleons, and every 5% of a block is 1000 galleons. So, you'd be spending 207500 galleons on potions, 91500 galleons on spells, and 97800 galleons on blocks. That comes to a total of 2,414,800 galleons."

Harry raises his eyebrows. Wow. That was a lot of money. "Okay, just remove it from the Potter main vault." Ragnok nods and stands next to Griphook.

"We'll be starting the ritual Harry," Griphook says, pressing a button. "Here goes your repulsion to Dark creatures."

Harry was standing watching Griphook in mild confusion. How could buttons do anything to get rid of potions and spells? Just as that thought leaves his mind, a weird tingling starting from his head travels though his body. What? This was a strange sensation.

The feeling gets stronger as Griphook presses another button, saying something about repulsion of Snape. No, not Snape, Severus. Why does he want to call the man that? His mind starts racing though his memories of the man and he frowns at the strange feeling that coincides with the memories. What was that?

His fingers twitch when the next button was pressed. They were getting rid of them in increasing order of how many there were. So, the next was his repulsion to the Malfoys. His mind zips to his first meeting with the boy and his abnormal hatred to the boy without even meeting him. He was under the influence of the potion then? When did he get the dose than? It hit him. Hagrid. He had drunken some tea from the man.

No…he thought he could trust that man. Damn, there's another one to add to the untrustworthy list.

The strange tingling increases and Harry's mind goes numb before abruptly being filled with knowing. If his eyes were open, one would see the bright intelligence shining within them. The naivety spells were no longer in effect.

Harry gasps as the compulsion spells go next. It feels as though a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He no longer had to go against his will to help Dumbledore or the Weasleys. A soft smile slides onto his face. The smile broadens into a grin as the loyalty potions wear off as well. His grin soon disappears to a frown. What's this feeling?

It was a memory from when Voldemort was first being explained to him by a neutral person. He wanted to follow that side? Did he really think like that? Was he really willing to follow the Dark Lord over Dumbledore? Yes. Vo—er, Tom—was not that bad. His ideals were the right ones, not Dumbledore's.

The Light was clouded by ignorance. They were told muggles were harmless. They aren't. Hasn't anyone ever bothered to look up on muggle history? They can make bombs large enough to destroy whole cities in seconds. Frankly, wards won't be able to protect against something like that. Were they stupid?

Tom's idea of separating the two worlds was the right one. And for those muggle-born or raised witches and wizards; they know nothing about wizarding culture, they would benefit from having a primary school to go to in order to learn culture and customs of the world they're about to enter.

The tingling soon subsides and Griphook says, "Now we'll move onto the potions." He searches the control board in front of him before muttering, "Say farewell to your ignorance."

Suddenly, a sharp pain erupts from his stomach. He groans and falls to his knees. He liked the way the spells wore off better than this. It wasn't painful at all.

The two goblins watch as Harry starts to writhe in pain on the floor. "Now on to the Loyalty potions." He presses another button and a stronger pain erupts within Harry.

Merlin, it hurt so much. But he could feel the effects changing. Looking back on his memories of his lessons at Hogwarts, he understood so much more now than he did at the time. He groans as the next button was pressed. They're taking away his meekness now. He won't be as humble; that he can live with. Sometimes his own personality bugged him and he had no idea why. Now he does. He bugged himself because he wasn't who he was meant to be.

Suddenly, his heart throbs and he falls onto his back. He body convulses before stiffening with his back arched and his eyes wide. His heart aches. Why? This pain is so great that it's drowning out the pain in his gut.

A memory flashes in his mind. It was a memory from the final battle, a memory that he had constantly blocked out for reasons he never really understood. Severus' pale face with his unblinking, dull eyes staring at him invades his thoughts. He feels tears sliding freely down his face. He shuts his eyes tightly to try and block out the image.

The potions seep out of his system one by one, and the more that disappear, the more pain in Harry's heart. He finally realizes it. The reason he can't bear to see Severus' dead, the reason his heart pains him so much, the strange feeling he has when remembering his old potions professor; it was because he loved him. He was in love with Severus Snape and now the man is dead. Dead before he even got a chance to know Harry's feelings. He was dead before Harry could prove himself to the man.

The tears flow stronger. He doesn't want that. He wants to be with the man. He doesn't want the man dead. He wants the man alive and by his side. He wants that man to be the one he marries, not Ginny.

He loves Severus! He wants it to be changed! He doesn't want to live this life anymore! He _needs_ Severus!

During Harry's mental rant, he doesn't even notice that all his blocks are removed except his magical one. "Okay, here we go," Griphook mutters, his finger hesitantly hovering over the button. "Let's see what his magic can do."

He presses the button. Harry's magic erupts in a spinning tornado around the boy. It lashes out at everything around.

'Please,' Harry thinks, 'Let me be with Severus! I want another chance…' His body begins to levitate upwards inside the tornado, and _still_ Harry didn't take note of his surroundings. "I WANT ANOTHER CHANCE!" he shouts out, the tears never ceasing. Suddenly, everything goes black and the two goblins stare at the now empty place where Harry Potter once was.


	2. July

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how many of you noticed this, but this story is also on FFN, but has more chapters. So, I'm adding all the chapters on there here and the new one I just posted today. I'll update them both from now on.

Harry's eyes open to stare at the wooden roof that was his cupboard under the stairs. How? What does that mean? He sighs and searches for his wand only to find nothing. He frowns and something sparks in his memory. He could use that untraceable magic now.

He holds his hand out in front of him and focuses on his index finger tip. A quiet humming starts sounding in his ears and he gulps quietly. 'Tempus Maxima,' he thinks. This spell wasn't the same as the normal Tempus. It shows not only the time, but the date as well. An upside also is that it won't work in an illusion or a dream.

Harry gasps softly at the numbers and words hovering brightly in front of him: July 25, 1991, 3:45 a.m.

July 25, 1991? How was that possible? He went back in time? Wait…did his wish come true? This was exactly six days before his birthday. Today was the day he gets his first Hogwarts letter. He could make it different! He could change things up and get what he wants…including Severus.

A welcomed heat fires up on Harry's face and he knows he's blushing. He can't help it; he's a 21 year old man in a ten year olds' body thinking about the man they're in love with. His damn body's reacting… He shakes his head and his blush fades. He has to start working on his Occlumency or else Severus would be able to see right through him when they meet.

He spends the next three hours making a labyrinth inside his head that harbors only the memories up until this time in his old life; the rest are hidden behind doors and under floorboards in his mind. The only way someone would find it would be if they were distinctly looking for it. Harry sighs in satisfaction. Now he can face Severus without the man knowing something was amiss.

He's startled from his thoughts with a rapping on his cupboard door. "Get up, you lazy Freak! Go make breakfast!"

Harry cringes, sighs, and crawls to the door. He had forgotten how annoying his Aunt's voice was. He slowly gets out and does as he's told. Sure he's been able to endure the Cruciatus Curse, but a beating on his first day back would not be the best experience.

He sits at the table, ignoring Dudley and his Smeltings' stick, waiting for the mail to come. The squeak of the mail slot sounds and Vernon grunts out, "Get the mail, Dudley."

"Make Harry get it."

"Get the mail, Freak."

Harry quietly gets up and heads out into the hall. He picks up the three things on the welcome mat. He smiles at his Hogwarts letter before stuffing it into his pants with a grimace. It's the only way to hide it until he can get to his cupboard. He walks into the room and sets the rest of the mail on the table, not drawing a single glance from anyone else in the room.

Vernon leaves for work as usual, Dudley heads off with his friends, and Petunia leaves the list of chores for him to accomplish and goes to gossip with her "friends".

Harry waits for a few minutes before bolting to his cupboard and hiding his letter under his mattress, along with a piece of paper, an envelope, and a pen. He leaves his cupboard and gets to working on the chores. He ignores his family as they get home one by one and makes their dinner. He gets thrown into his cupboard without any for himself.

He sighs and sits on the lumpy, pathetic excuse for a mattress. He doesn't pull out what he's hiding. He's not that stupid. He's going to have to wait until the Dursley's have gone to sleep. A few hours later, he can no longer hear anything. He sighs and just as he makes to get off his mattress, his cupboard door is thrown open and Vernon peers inside. Harry freezes and stares at the man. "Get out and follow me," he growls out, moving out of the doorway.

Harry crawls out of the cupboard, confused about what's going on. This didn't happen before, but of course in his old time, the man was terrified that wizards would show up at any moment. Harry follows the grotesquely obese man into his sound-proof study. 'Oh no…he's going to beat me again. I wonder what the excuse is this time.'

But, instead of turning around and pounding on the poor boy as soon as the door closes, he sits down in his chair. It was at that moment that the color drains from Harry's face. No. The man wasn't going to beat him. He was going for something so much worse. Harry's breath quickens and fear rises in his throat as he stares at the bulge in the fat man's pants.

Vernon grins at the look on Harry's face. "Get down on your knees in front of me, Boy!" Harry gulps and whimpers quietly before doing just that. He doesn't want another beating and _then_ have to do this. Vernon quickly unbuttons his pants and lets his member free, groaning slightly at the chill in the room. He grins and grabs Harry's head by his hair. He then stuffs his dick into Harry's mouth. He moans and orders, "Suck," a lustful look in his eyes.

Harry doesn't move and whimpers. Why? What in Merlin's name did he do to deserve this?

After a few seconds of Harry's stillness, Vernon growls out, "Freaks do this for their Uncles, now suck!" He pulls Harry's hair hard.

Harry flinches and whimpers, doing just as he's told, trying to keep his gag reflex under control. It was even more unmanageable than if he was doing this to a man he was okay with, someone like Severus. He feels his tears brimming in his eyes. He just wanted it all to end.

_It'll all be over soon,_ is the mantra that plays through his head.

* * *

After Vernon was done, Harry was thrown in his cupboard. He was forced to give the man a blow job before he was raped mercilessly for several hours. Near the end, he started being unresponsive and was beaten ruthlessly for it.

Harry whimpers and holds his knees up to his chest as he shudders. That hadn't happened last time. No, the man didn't do anything of the sort last time because he was frightened of wizards. What if…what if he had been planning on doing that last time as well, but the letter scared him and he didn't want to risk it? Harry spits out into the corner of the cupboard in disgust, tears threatening to fall once more. He wanted his uncle's repulsive taste out of his mouth. He was forced to swallow all of his cum.

He groans as a pain erupts in his lower back again. Vernon had been ruthless. Harry closes his eyes and holds the letter to Minerva and Severus up to his chest. Oh god, that bastard was going to die, if not by his hand than by one of theirs.

It was nearing two in the morning, when Harry crawls out of the cupboard, ignoring the pain all over. He walks up to the front door and slips through the dog door that was there for when Marge visited with those beasts she calls pets. Harry sneaks out into the night and sticks the letter into Mrs. Figg's mailbox with the flag sticking up. He had read that for muggle-born or muggle-raised wizards and witches, the muggle post offices have at least one wizard who transfers their mail to owl post. And right now, Mrs. Figg was away on Holiday and wouldn't be back until August.

He crawls back to his house and gets in through the doggie door before making his way to his cupboard. Now all that's left to do was wait for them to come on his birthday. Could he last until then? Could he survive the sexual assault of his uncle? Can he really live with being raped and molested daily? No. But he'd have to. It was all part of the plan… sort of.

* * *

The following morning, in the Transfiguration classroom, Minerva McGonagall was writing up her next year's lesson plans when a regular post owl flies in through her open window. She pulls the letter off; already guessing it was a reply from a Hogwarts letter.

She pauses suddenly. She wasn't in the room the owls were ordered to head to. This was obviously a reply from a muggle-born witch or wizard, it was in a muggle envelope, yet why had it come to her and not Albus? Carefully, she opens the letter and gasps. She barely looks up as Severus lets himself into her classroom.

In shaky, obviously pained handwriting, the letter states:

_Professors McGonagall and Snape,_

_Please forgive me for not sending this reply the normal way, but I would like to request someone to come explain the wizarding world to me. My relatives were reluctant to even allow me to send this letter, let alone tell me about anything. The most convenient time would be around seven a.m. on July 31st. I would appreciate it even more if it were one or two of the Professors at Hogwarts, and since I heard that you two were amazing teachers, I'd like it if it were you._

_New to the Wizarding World_

That wasn't what made her gasp. What made her gasp was what appeared when Severus walked into the room.

_Now that you're both here and alone, I would appreciate it if you told Professor Dumbledore that I, Harry James Potter, have responded to the letter and he does not need to send someone of his choosing to accompany me to get my things. I would like to tell you, though, I am not being treated right here. Not only am I neglected and abused, but my Uncle has started doing…things…that I do not feel comfortable writing about in a letter._

_Please come at the time stated above. My relatives don't even know about this letter or the one you sent. Please come and save me. I don't know if I'll even live until my birthday, which is July 31st, by the way. I don't want to die, not yet, please save me._

_Harry James Potter._

Severus raises an eyebrow at his colleague's gasp. Curious, he walks up behind her and reads the letter. His initial reaction was to ignore it as a cry for attention, but as he looks at it once more; his other side was taking hold. This was the side that has seen real cries for help from his Slytherins. He knows abuse when he sees it.

This boy, _Potter_ , seemed to be telling the truth. His handwriting wasn't just messy, it was as though he was shaking and in pain when he was writing it. The boy had been recently beaten. Not to mention, when the boy wrote ' _things'_ his uncle did were troubling to him. The only thing he could think of was sexual assault and that was something he prayed was not true.

No one, not even the son of that bastard, James Potter, deserves something like that. He takes a deep breath and looks at Minerva. "It seems we'll be heading to 4 Privet Drive on July 31st."

* * *

It was finally July 31st. Harry was sitting huddled up in a corner of his cupboard; fear was coursing through his body, and tears running down his face. He hides his face in his arms. They were coming, he could tell. His Severus was coming. The tears change from tears of pain to tears of hope.

He holds himself tighter. So far, Vernon had raped and molested him every night for the past six nights. He chokes on a sob as he hears the three members of _that_ family happily eating breakfast, the son and wife not even suspecting what that bastard was doing to his nephew behind the closed doors of his study. Harry has gone without food for the past three days and he's been having nightmares again. He wants it to end, but he's so close. He can't give up. Not now.

He holds his breath when he hears a knock on the front door. They're here. He smiles softly as he hears Vernon grunt and get up from the table.

* * *

Severus sneers in disgust at the mundane street he and his colleague had apparated on to. It was so disgustingly boring. The two magical folk, dressed in muggle clothes, walk up to the front door of 4 Privet Drive.

Minerva knocks on the door. They hear some loud footsteps before the front door is thrown open by a revolting tub of lard. "What?" he grunts out, looking at the two in suspicion.

"We are here to see Mr. Harry Potter," Minerva says in a stern voice.

The man sneers. "Why would you want to see the Freak?"

Severus bristles. The freak? How _dare_ this muggle call Lily Evans' son a freak! His eyes narrow. Minerva, keeping her anger under control, calmly states, "We are here to introduce him to his world, the world he rightfully belongs in."

Vernon's face purples and fear flashes in his eyes. "Get in here," he growls out, he didn't want a chance of his neighbors hearing about what the freak was. The party of three makes their way into the dining room.

With a sickeningly sweet smile, Petunia, who had heard the conversation from the dining room entrance, says, "We were unaware that you were coming to visit our delightful nephew. He is over at a friend's house."

Dudley stares at his mom strangely. What was she going off about? The freak was friendless, he made sure of it. Besides, he was hiding in his cupboard like a wimp. "What are you talking about, mum? The freak has no friends!" Dudley shouts proudly. He shrinks in fear at the glare from his father. Why? He didn't do anything wrong, he was just stating the truth.

This time, McGonagall's eyes narrow. "Where is he?"

"He's not here, the boy ran away!" Vernon shouts, the desperation clearly evident in his voice.

"We are not going to ask once more, where. Is. Mr. Potter?" she asks in a stern voice.

Severus growls and mutters, "We don't have to deal with this." He was getting annoyed, so he pulls out his wand. "Point me, Harry James Potter." The two magic folk watch as Severus' wand points to the tiny cupboard under the stairs. The two of them stare in shock at the small door. 'Surely it was wrong,' he thinks as he takes a tentative step forward.

"Your thing must be broken," Vernon says, panic starting to make him sweat. "There's nothing in there but trash."

"No," Minerva mutters quietly, performing the spell herself. Her wand points in the same direction and that's all the verification Severus needs.

The three Dursleys watch in apprehension as the black-haired man opens the cupboard door. A gasp escapes the man's lips. Severus stares at the huddled figure in the corner.

It was a small child, too small for their age. They were practically in rags that were five sizes too big. He was curled up on a disgusting worn-out old mattress. He had frighteningly pale skin; it looked as though he hadn't been in the sun for a couple of months. He was way too thin; he was skin and bones. But the most frightening to Severus were Lily's eyes with rings around them that were dull and warily looking at him. He slowly holds out a hand for the boy. "Come on, we're getting you out of here," he says in a gentle voice, surprising even himself. "You won't have to ever come back here."

Harry eyes Severus with a look of wary relief. He didn't hate him, at least, not now. The letter had worked; his Severus doesn't want to make his life hell. He cautiously crawls forward, wincing with every tiny movement. Snape notices this and frowns slightly. When Harry is close enough, Severus gently grabs him and pulls him out of the cupboard, standing him up on his feet out in the hall. Minerva gasps at the boy. He was so sickly looking! Harry looks between the two of them with big, innocent eyes. "I…I won't e-ever have to come b-back?" he asks, unbridled hope dancing just below the surface of his eyes.

"Never," Severus answers without hesitation. He'd make sure this boy never came back here. He'd do anything. "Now, I have to perform some spells to see what's wrong. After that, I'll start healing you, and you might have to take some potions, they don't taste very good, but they'll help you, like muggle medicine."

Perfect, he can now make the Dursleys out to be as bad as they are. Harry frowns and tilts his head. "Meh-de-sin?" Sure, he knew what it was, but he never got any, he might as well play the innocent neglected child.

At that, Minerva blew a gasket. "You _never_ even gave the boy any treatment when he _obviously_ needs some!"

Severus was inwardly fuming as he performs the diagnostic spells. Oh, these muggles had a death wish. If he was pissed off before the spells, he was seeing red now. The boy had been beaten for years! He hasn't eaten in the past few days and not only that, but he was right about sexual abuse! He turns his glare to the Dursleys. He couldn't kill them. No, Albus would have a fit. "Minerva," he says in a strained voice, obviously attempting to keep his anger reeled in, "It would be best if we left before we kill these filthy muggles."

McGonagall, not needing more than that, sends one last glare at the Dursleys before walking back up to Harry. "Harry, honey," she says in a grandmotherly voice that wasn't fake, "go get your stuff and we can go."

Harry looks back at the cupboard and frowns. "All I have are some extra pairs of clothes, but they're all too big anyway," he says in a quiet voice before downing the potion Severus had started giving him. His nose wrinkles at the taste but he doesn't say anything. At least it was better than Vernon…

At that, Minerva turns and storms out of the house, unable to keep her anger under control any longer. Severus just picks Harry up and carries him out of the house on his hip. Harry stares innocently at the man holding him. "Where are we going?" he asks as they walk across the street and out of the anti-apparation wards.

"We're going to the Leaky Cauldron and then to Diagon Alley," Severus says, glancing calming down at the innocent look on the child's face. He went through all that and still stayed pure, Merlin bless the boy's soul.

He tilts his head. "We're going diagonally where?"

Minerva chuckles slightly at the boy. "No, we're going to Diagon Alley. It's a wizarding street with loads of shops for you to buy your things for school."

Harry's face brightens up before it falls. "But…I don't have any money."

Severus snorts. "Of course you do, your parents left you a fortune."

Minerva nods. "And Albus said he was giving your family a monthly allowance so that you can survive."

Harry frowns. "Then why haven't I been getting anything? Uncle Vernon keeps telling me I'm a burden, yet he always spoils Dudley. I don't get anything for Christmas or my birthday, while Dudley gets loads and loads of gifts."

Severus stops and looks at the boy in his arms. "Are you telling me that they're spending money that was supposed to be used to feed and clothe you on their whale of a son!" Harry nods slowly, seemingly fearful that the man was mad at him. Snape sighs and hugs Harry. "I'm not mad at you, Harry. I'm mad at those relatives of yours, and Albus for not checking up on you. Now, hold on tight, apparating can be rather strange the first time, and we don't want you to get splinched."

Harry wraps his arms around Severus' neck and smiles. He wants to be held like this by the man forever. Suddenly, he feels the familiar feeling of being squeezed through a tube. When they appear in the alley by the Leaky Cauldron, he makes sure to lean his head on Severus' shoulder and moan, as though it was his first time apparating.

Severus carefully sets Harry down, much to the boy's dismay. He starts adjusting his hair. "You're famous in our world and frankly, I don't want to be hounded by people wanting to talk to you. So I'm going to have to cover your scar, okay?" Harry nods and allows Severus to fix his hair.

Minerva smiles softly. She hadn't seen this side of Severus since he was still a student at Hogwarts with Lily. Soon, Severus stands up and takes Harry's hand. "Let's get going. We'll head to Gringotts, the wizarding bank, first."

The three people walk into the Leaky Cauldron and walk straight to the back, ignoring everyone else. Harry glares at Quirrell from under his bangs. That man was going to die soon; he would make sure of it. He couldn't have Voldemort reviving too soon.

They walk out the back and come to a brick wall. Minerva whips out her wand and taps the bricks in the same pattern that Harry remembered. They open up to reveal the alley and Harry makes sure to look as surprised and awed as he could. "Wow," he breathes out. Severus smirks and they walk through the alley, people ignoring them fairly easily.

The three walk up to the white building of Gringotts. They enter it and walk up to the head goblin of this time, who Harry doesn't know either. Minerva opens her mouth, but the goblin beats her to it. "Ah, Mr. Potter, Mr. Snape, it seems you got our missive." Harry blinks. Yes! The will will be read now! He puts on a confused expression and stares at the goblin.

Snape frowns and looks down to Harry to see his confused expression. "What missive?" he asks, turning back to the goblin.

The goblin frowns at Snape. "The missive we sent telling you to come so that we can read the will of Lily and James Potter."

Severus blinks in shock. "They never wrote a will," he says, but the goblin shakes his head.

"Follow this goblin," he says as the goblin Harry recognizes as Ragnok comes up to them. "He will read the will to you, although we had asked for all who are mentioned to be present, and you never got our missive, it seems that will be impossible."

The three curiously follow Ragnok into his little office. They sit in three seats in front of his desk. He pulls out a piece of paper and clears his throat. "My name is Ragnok and it's time for the reading of the last will and testament of Lily and James Potter.

" _I, James Harold Potter, and I, Lily Potter, being of sound mind and body, do hereby declare this to be our last will and testament, rendering all previous wills null and void._

" _If you're reading this, than I guess that means we've died. Harry, if things didn't go the way we wished, we hope you realize that we love you. Please, it was not your fault that we died, so please never blame yourself. You were our own little angel; we love you no matter what. Now we move onto the good part._

" _To Remus Lupin, we leave 1 million galleons. You can't give it back because we're dead, use it, and be happy. Settle down with a certain scruffy-looking animagus if you wish. Have a bunch of pups together, you know the drill._

" _To Sirius Black, we leave 1 million galleons as well. We know you don't need it, but you've been a great friend to us and we don't really know how to thank you. Well, except we also leave our estate in the Norwegian countryside. Yeah, I know it's in a weird place, but it was always really peaceful with a big forest for certain dogs and wolves to prance around in contentment._

" _To Severus Snape,"_ Snape stares at the paper in shock. They left him something? Why? _"we leave 2 million galleons, the Potter's golden potions equipment, a five year membership to that apothecary in America that has rare ingredients(note that this membership won't activate until you personally go there), and finally our estate in France. James is sorry about what he'd done when we were at Hogwarts and we know this does nothing to alleviate the pain, but I hope it can help. Buy those rare potions ingredients that you've been wanting. You've always told me, Lily, that you've wanted to visit France, so now you have a house there of your own. I'd also like to let you know that I forgive you, Severus, and I'm sorry that I was unable to tell you earlier. And I, James, would like to **formally** apologize for the wrongs I have done unto you, Severus, I had no right and you are a person deserving of great respect. I'm sorry." _ Severus gulps and looks away. Okay, maybe he'll forgive that man. And at least Lily forgave him, when she died before he could apologize, he cried.

" _And to our son, Harry James Potter, we leave all else. Use it wisely son and please don't trust Dumbledore. He is not the man he claims to be."_ That statement calls the three humans to look at the paper. Two of Dumbledore's most devoted supports telling someone not to trust him? What has the world come to?

" _On our son's eleventh birthday, he is to be emancipated from all guardianships. He will gain lord status immediately after being emancipated and will have free reign over all our vaults, not just the trust fund we leave for his school items in case Albus interferes somehow. And if we die before that time, he is to go and live with Sirius Orion Black. If that is somehow unachievable, he is to go to the following people **in this order** , moving down the list if he is unable to live with the next possible person:_

" _Remus Lupin_

" _Frank and Alice Longbottom_

" _Minerva McGonagall_

" _Severus Snape_

" _Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy_

" ** _Never_** _under **any** circumstances is he to be under the care of Albus Dumbledore or my sister and her husband, Petunia and Vernon Dursley. If all of the above names are not options, he is to go to a loving **wizarding** family._

" _This concludes our last will and testament."_ Ragnok falls silent and puts the paper back down on his desk. He stares at the three human, taking a note of their reactions. Damn that Dumbledore, he must have intercepted the missives.

"He was never supposed to go with those muggles," McGonagall says in astonishment. "Dumbledore forced him?" she whispers in shock. Severus just glares at the parchment.

Harry looks up at Ragnok. "W-what do I have to do to be ema…eman…emancipa…emancipated?" It is a long word, and he's supposed to be eleven years old.

Ragnok stares at the boy, noting the intelligence behind those sharp green eyes. "Well, you just have to sign this paper with a blood quill. You won't be writing enough that there will leave a scar in your hand, you may also heal it straight away if you wish." He takes out a paper and sets it in front of Harry and gives him a quill. "Just sign your name at the bottom and that will be it."

Harry puts the quill to the paper and writes his name, wincing and hissing as it was carved lightly into his skin. He sets the quill down before looking at his hand, blinking in shock as it begins to heal itself.

Severus tensed at the mention of blood quill but he calms as he watches the skin heal. There wasn't even a mark any more. Harry suddenly gasps and feels his magic swirl around him. It felt amazing. Severus stares at the boy in shock. This much power. How could a mere child possess so much power?

"Okay," Ragnok says, "We have transferred all your money into the Potter main vault and cut off all access aside from your own, Lord Potter."

Harry nods and looks down. "Um…Ragnok, sir, I feel funny," he murmurs.

Ragnok blinks. There could be a block. "Well, we have a way to check if something is wrong. It could just be that you're coming into an early inheritance because of your emancipation, but we'll just check." He pulls out a piece of parchment and a golden blade. "Just a drop on this parchment will do."

Harry tentatively takes the knife, memories of his relatives slashing at him in the past few days speed through his mind. He shakes his head slightly to rid himself of these thoughts before he runs the blade lightly across his finger, letting the blood drip onto the paper. He sets the knife down and watches the blood droplets on the paper morph into words.

**_Name:_ ** _Harry James Potter_

**_Father:_ ** _James Harold Potter_

**_Mother:_ ** _Lily Potter née Evans_

**_Lord to the House of:_ **

_Potter_

_Gryffindor_

_Merlin_

**_Blocks:_ ** _Magical Block 95% (blocked by Albus Dumbledore October 31, 1981)_

_Comprehension Block 30% Spells, 80% Potions, 99% Martial Arts, 85% General Knowledge, and 90% Logic (blocked by Albus Dumbledore October 31, 1981)_

"Lord to the houses of Merlin and Gryffindor?" Minerva asks in shock. "How is that possible?"

"He is the sole heir. The title Lord Gryffindor has been passed down in the Potter family for centuries. The title of Lord Merlin has been passed down to the families of the founders heirs. So, Lord Slytherin, Lady Ravenclaw, and Lord Hufflepuff also have the title of Merlin," Ragnok explains, not all that surprised. "Although these blocks are troublesome," he murmurs to himself.

"Can you remove them?" Severus asks.

Ragnok nods. "It would come to a total of 95,800 galleons," he says.

Harry nods. "Okay. You can take it out of my account," Harry says.

Ragnok nods and calls out in Gobbledygook. A goblin enters. "This goblin's name is Griphook, he will take you to the cleansing room and then you will head down to your vaults so that you can go shopping for your school year."

"W-wait," Harry says. "Um…Is there a place for me to go? Like do I own a house or something?"

Ragnok blinks. 'So that's where he got those injuries. He came from an abusive home.' He was eyeing the bruises on Harry's arms and neck. "Yes, but I would suggest having someone live with you before you head off to Hogwarts. Or you could stay with a friend. Come back after your shopping if you still wish for a house."

Harry nods and gets up to follow Griphook. Severus and Minerva follow him out. The boy was intelligent and he thinks things through. Neither had thought of what to do for the next month.

The cleansing goes rather quickly and nothing out of the ordinary happens, just a huge magical tornado when his magic unlocks itself. Soon, they were speeding down in the carts to Harry's main vault, rather than his trust vault. Harry takes the feather light money bag that Severus gives him and puts money in it before walking back out of his vault. He pauses when something glints in his eye. He looks over and sees two matching necklaces.

He tentatively walks towards it. It was in a case. It was from the Slytherin vault, Harry noted. The case wouldn't open without parseltongue. Inside there were two beautiful necklaces. Harry had read about them before. It was in a book about ancient love magic. One the parselmouth wears and the other one could only be worn by the parselmouth's soulmate. Harry blushes, glancing over his shoulder at the two professors who were engrossed in some books that were in the vault. Harry gulps and whispers **_"Open,"_** in parseltongue.

He doesn't realize Severus tenses and looks over his shoulder at the boy. Severus watches in fascination as the case opens and Harry slips one necklace on, hiding it under his large shirt. The necklace Harry put on has a gold chain with a black cobra and a white cobra engrossed in a deadly dance, wrapped around a single lily. The black cobra had emeralds for eyes while the white one had amethysts for eyes.

Severus turns around as he sees Harry move to turn around. He fakes being interested in the book and looks down as he feels his sleeve pulled. He sees Harry holding a matching necklace close to his chest. "Um…Pr-professor, th-thank you for pr-protecting me," he murmurs, holding the necklace up to Severus.

Severus blinks. He cautiously takes the necklace and holds it up. Harry's breath catches. Yes! Severus could touch it, so he was his soulmate! He wouldn't have been able to take it from Harry if he wasn't his soulmate. "Er…you're welcome, but you don't need to give me this," he says, moving to give the necklace back but pauses when he sees the heartbroken look on the child's face. He sighs and pulls it closer.

"Please put it on," Harry says softly. Severus shakes his head with a smile and slips the necklace over his neck. As it touches his neck, a warm feeling spreads throughout his body. Weird… He looks down and sees Harry's ecstatic expression and he can't keep a smile from dancing on his lips. "Okay, can we go shopping now?"

Severus nods and glances back down at the book. "It would be best if you take some of these books as well, these are ancient and they aren't sold any more." Harry nods and opens the other bag Severus had given him, the feather-light magically expanded bag that he was supposed to carry all his stuff with. Severus puts the books in there and they move to find McGonagall, who adds the books she was looking at into the bag, taking note of the necklace Severus was wearing.

They exit the vault and then the building. They walk around and Harry glances at the sun. It was later than in his other life. It would be best to go to Madame Malkin's first and meet up with Malfoy. He gently tugs on McGonagall's sleeve. "Can I get some new clothes? These…"

"Of course, we'll head to Madame Malkin's she sells robes as well as a few muggle type clothes," she explains and starts leading him towards the shop. When they reach the outside, she says, "Severus and I have to go get a few things ourselves; will you be alright by yourself?"

Harry nods and watches the two leave before heading into the store.

Minerva eyes Severus. "So…where did you get the necklace?" she asks.

Severus glares at her. "The boy insisted I have it, I don't know why." Without waiting for a response, he walks into the apothecary. Minerva chuckles and walks down the street.

* * *

Harry looks up to see that familiar blond head of the boy standing on the stool. "Hogwarts, dear?" the woman asks, and without waiting for an answer, she leads him to the second stool to get his measurements.

"Um…I could also use some muggle clothes," he says shyly. Draco looks at the boy on his left with disdain. He was wearing disgusting clothes. They looked worse than the rags he gave his house elves. Draco blinks when the boy's eyes snap towards him. "Um…h-hello, my name's Harry Potter." 'Make friends with Draco. He won't insult you once he knows who you are.'

Draco's eyes widen. This boy is Harry Potter? _The_ Harry Potter? He looks as though he had been abused and neglected! "My name's Draco Malfoy." The two shake hands. Harry smiles shyly. "If you don't mind me asking…why are your clothes so…"

Harry's smile disappears. He looks away. "My uncle, aunt, and cousin…they don't like me very much. They called me a freak and a burden. They made me do all the housework and if I failed to meet their expectations or didn't do everything in the right amount of time, I was…beaten," his voice quieted the more he spoke. Draco's jaw drops.

"How could they treat you worse than a house elf?"

Harry frowns. "What's a house elf?"

"It's basically a servant," Draco says. "Do you know _anything_ about the Wizarding World?"

Harry starts to shake his head but stops. "Well, I know a little. It's just whatever Professors Snape and McGonagall told me."

Draco blinks. This boy knows his uncle Sev? "Okay, hun," the woman says to him, "you're done."

"I think I'll wait for my friend," Draco says, looking at Harry. He blinks at the shocked happy look in the other boy's green eyes.

A few more minutes and Harry was done. He had his school robes, a few extra robes, and a whole new muggle wardrobe. He went into the back and changed into one set of muggle clothes before coming back out. Draco was staring at him and Harry blushes. "D-does it look bad?" he asks sheepishly.

Draco shakes his head. "No, it looks much better. Have you gotten your wand yet?"

Harry shakes his head. "No, I have not yet."

Draco nods. "We can go now, okay?"

"That's cool."

The two boys walk out of the store to see Severus and Lucius speaking to one another. Draco straightens his posture. "Father," he states, getting the blond man's attention. "I was wondering if I could go get my wand now."

Lucius looks the mudblood by his son over with a small sneer. "Very well," he says slowly, not trusting the boy next to his son.

"Harry," Severus says, catching the other three's attention. "Do you want to go get your wand now?"

Harry nods and smiles shyly, "If that's okay with you."

A small smile shows on Severus' face. Lucius blinks. "Oh," Snape says, "I've forgotten, Harry, this is an old schoolmate of mine, Lucius Malfoy. Lucius, this is Harry Potter."

The only form of surprise that Lucius shows is an irregular blink. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Potter."

"I…I'd like to be called Harry, sir," the boy murmurs quietly. Lucius nods and Harry smiles softly. The boy was strange. He wasn't anything like he thought he would be. And…were those bruises he sees on the boy's neck?

"Well, we should head to Ollivander's and get your wands," Lucius says, starting to head in that direction. Was _the_ Harry Potter abused? He looks over at his friend, Severus, and his eyes travel down his arm to the conjoined hands of him and the boy. 'Just what happened to the boy to change Severus so much in one day? He abhorred the boy and constantly spoke about how he'd despise teaching the spawn of James Potter.'

Harry glances at his and Severus' conjoined hands and smiles softly. He glances up at the man. He had put his necklace underneath his robes; McGonagall had probably been teasing him about it. Oh well, Harry knew it was there and that was all that mattered.

The group of four reach Ollivander's Wand Shop and enter.

Mr. Ollivander, who was behind his desk for once, looks up at the four who had just entered his store. "Ah, Lucius, 18 inches, elm, dragon heartstring, it's still working well, I presume. And Severus, I don't believe it was I who gave you that wand." Severus ignores the man and he lets go of Harry's hand, much to the boy's annoyance.

"My wand is working fine," Lucius says, "But we are here for my son's wand."

"Yes, of course, young Mr. Malfoy, let's see what wand is yours." Ollivander disappears into the back and comes back several times, and every time, the wand doesn't work. He returns another time and says, "Hawthorn, ten inches, unicorn hair," and hands the wand over to Draco. Instead of destroying something, sparks fly from the end of the wand. "Use it well," he advices the boy.

He looks at the other boy in the room. "Ah, young Mr. Potter…" he trails off with a frown. Instead of speaking about his parents' wands like he did in the other life, he stares at Harry, muttering, "Curious," over and over under his breath. Finally, he clears his throat and says, "I never knew you were indeed that powerful, Mr. Potter. The only person who was said to accomplish something like that was Merlin himself."

Harry sucks in a breath. He knew exactly what Ollivander was talking about. He knew about Harry going back in time, although how he knew was a mystery. "What's he talking about?" Draco asks, looking over at his new friend. The boy puts on an innocently confused face and shrugs his shoulders.

Severus looks down at Harry and attempts to look the boy in his eyes to perform Legilimens. But Harry kept avoiding his eyes. "Well, I might as well get that curious wand of yours." The man walks into the back.

When he gets back, Lucius asks, "What makes it curious?"

Harry comes up and takes the wand, hearing Ollivander say, "Holly, eleven inches, phoenix feather." The man looks up at Lucius as the red and gold sparks fly from Harry's wand. "The curious thing is that Mr. Potter has this wand while its brother gave him that scar." The room's silence was deafening. Harry bites his lip before looking over his shoulder at Severus.

"C-can we go?" Harry asks sheepishly. "I still haven't gotten everything on my list."

Snapping out of his stupor, Severus looks at Harry, "Of course," he murmurs, taking the boy's hand after he paid for the wand. They head towards Flourish and Blotts' bookstore, where Severus leaves Harry with Draco and Lucius, murmuring something about a gift.

Harry gets the assigned books for his first year and Severus was still not here yet. He starts looking around for other books. One could never know too much. He pauses when he comes across a book about untraceable magic. He glances around before picking up the book and blinking at the one behind it. _Parselmagic: How to Use It and Why It's Important_.

"Parselmagic," he murmurs quietly, "never heard of it." He picks up that book and smiles down at it. This might be helpful. He starts walking to the cashier when another book catches his eyes. _Parseltongue and Potions: How They Coincide_. Wow, if he could use that, then Severus might like him more! They might even start brewing together! He immediately picks up the book. He holds that one close as he walks up to the front desk. For suspicion's sake, Harry had also picked out a few books on History and controlling magic so that he could use more of his abilities.

He walks up to Draco and Lucius at the front of the store when he was done. The three walk out and Harry blinks in shock as Severus walks up to him, holding a cage with Hedwig inside. He stares in awe at the pure white owl. "Happy birthday, Harry," Severus says, handing the owl to Harry. The boy grins and holds the cage, gazing at the owl inside happily.

"Th-thank you, Severus!" he says happily, missing the slight frown on Severus face that quickly disappeared. Why had the boy called him by his first name so suddenly?

"Ah, that's not all, Harry. I'm willing to allow you another pet, if you so chose," he says with a soft smile.

Harry's eyes widen, "Really?" he asks in childish wonder. Severus nods.

Draco looks up at Severus. "Uncle Sev, could I have two pets, as well?" he asks sheepishly.

Severus looks at his godson, glancing at his friend's face. The man seemed to approve. "Yes, I could pull some strings for you, if your father approves, of course."

Draco looks hopefully up at his father. "Dad?" he asks quietly. Lucius nods and Draco's eyes brighten. They head down the street to the Magical Menagerie. When entering, Harry inconspicuously heads to the reptile side. He watches the snakes in awe.

He stares at a miniature black basilisk with crimson eyes hiding in a shadowed corner. He opens his mouth to say something to it when the manager comes up near him saying, "Sorry sir, but that's a very dangerous snake. I've had too many customers paralyzed. Someone had told me that the snake will only let its destined master come near them."

Harry frowns at the man. Suddenly, Harry feels a hand on his shoulder. "Let the boy try," he hears someone say in a deep voice. Harry looks up and sees Severus and he barely conceals a shudder. "I have a potion that would revive him."

Harry walks up to the snake. He glances at Severus and whispers, quiet enough so that the manager doesn't hear him, "Can you use a silencing spell?"

Severus frowns, but mutters, "Muffliato." Harry smiles and turns back to the snake.

He starts hissing and Severus' eyes widen. **_"What's your name, mine is Harry Potter. You're a really beautiful snake, you know."_**

Severus shudders. So that _was_ parseltongue he was speaking while in the vault. God, this was so different then when the Dark Lord spoke it.

The snake looks back at Harry with surprise. **_"Ah, a speaker, I've never met one before. How interesting, and you flatter me. My name is Hebina, by the way."_**

Harry smiles and holds out his hand to touch the glass. **_"It's nice to meet you, Hebina. Would you like to be my familiar? And if so, could you please turn off your paralysis. We don't want anyone randomly being paralyzed. That wouldn't be a good thing."_**

Hebina hisses at Harry and curls up towards him. **_"That would be interesting, Harry Potter. And yes, I can deactivate my paralysis eyesight."_**

Harry smiles and turns to the manager. "I'll take her," he says happily.

The manager stares in shock at the boy. "Okay…"

Harry looks over at Severus and his smile fades. "Severus, I…"

Severus frowns. "There you go again, calling me by my name. What's up with that?"

Harry's breathe catches in his throat and he looks away. "I'm sorry. I…"

Severus looks at Harry. "And…you're a parselmouth, aren't you?"

Harry bites his lip. "Y-yes…"

"Why are you calling me by my first name, Harry?"

Harry looks down before biting his lip. "There are some things that I can't tell you, I'm sorry, Severus. Please, it'd be best if you forgot about this. I'll explain it, but it'd be when the time is right. So, I apologize for this in advance. Obliviate."

Severus' eyes widen before they become dull and he looks around with a frown. "What happened?"

Harry looks at him curiously. "What do you mean, Professor?" he asks innocently.

Severus looks at the boy before shaking his head, "Never mind."

Harry watches as Severus walks towards the front of the store. Harry smiles as Severus walks away. He can't have Severus know. He had erased all suspicion from his love's mind. He looks back at the manager and opens the tank. Hebina slithers up onto his arm and he gets everything he needs to keep it.

He walks up to the front of the store and smiles. The three Slytherins look at the-boy-who-lived in shock. "I," Draco pauses, staring at the snake, "didn't take you for a serpent person, Harry."

Harry shrugs. "She was just…calling out to me. Her name is Hebina by the way." He looks up at Severus. "I still have to get the potions things and my trunk."

Severus nods, "I can take you there, and then, we're going to have to decide a place for you to stay for the next month."

Lucius perks up at that. "Harry has no place to stay? Where was he these past few years then?"

Severus scowls. "He was at his _aunt's_. I'm not taking him back to that hellhole."

Lucius blinks. So the boy _was_ abused. Severus wouldn't be acting this way if he wasn't. "Well, he could stay with us. I never trusted Dumbledore, and he was the one who placed the boy in that home, correct? Well, he can stay with us, if that's okay with him." Draco's eyes widen and he can't hold in a grin. Harry might spend the next whole month with him!

Severus blinks and looks at Harry. "I'm fine with it if you are, Harry. Your parent's will did say that they would be okay with it."

Lucius blinks. "What? Lily and James Potter trusted me with their son?" he asks incredulously.

"Well, there was a list of people, that should they die, he should live with." Draco watches them curiously. "The list went as follows: Sirius Black, then Remus Lupin, then Frank and Alice Longbottom, then Minerva McGonagall, then me, then you and your wife. He was not supposed to ever be under the care of Dumbledore or Petunia Dursley, Lily's sister. Dumbledore ignored their will and placed him in the Dursley's care." By now, Severus was scowling again. "They had begun to doubt Dumbledore's judgment. And they began to trust you more than him."

"But I was a Death Eater," he whispers. "They knew that."

"As I said before, they began to doubt Dumbledore's judgment, including his opinion of the Dark Lord's views. I found out they were doing some research. What they found shattered their belief in the old fool," Severus explains with a smirk.

"Well," Lucius says, "That is certainly a shock."

"Sir," Harry says quietly, "Can we head out and get my other things and head home? I'm really tired," he murmurs, rubbing his eye and yawning.

Severus stares at Harry. He blinks as he feels a weird feeling course through his veins. It made him feel warm and happy. It was a strange fluffy feeling that he wanted more of. "Of course, Harry," he says, ignoring the feeling for now.

The four walk out of the store to come across McGonagall walking up to them. "Ah," she says when she spots them, "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Is the package Dumbledore wanted retrieved?" Severus asks, sneering at the name of the headmaster.

"Yes," she says with a sigh. "I have gotten what he wished for. Where were you off to next?"

"To get my trunk and then to the apo-apothecary," Harry murmurs with a frown, wondering about the package. It had to be the Philosopher's Stone.

The five of them head off, McGonagall not even questioning the Malfoys' reason for being with them. When they reach the apothecary, Severus had the same look in his eyes as a kid in a Quidditch store. He pulls Harry along gently, telling him what items would be best and what he could do with certain ingredients.

Harry just absorbs the information happily. He was finally spending time with his love. And the next month, he will spend the time getting to know and befriending Draco. He could almost squeal with joy. They soon finished with the apothecary and Severus had a hint of pride in his eyes as he looked at Harry. It gets to be the time to leave and the boy looks up at him and smiles shyly, a light blush dusting his cheeks. Lucius puts a hand on both boy's shoulders and apparates away.

Severus and Minerva now take the chance to apparate back to Hogwarts. They quickly traverse the distance from the edge of the anti-apparating wards and the castle. Both were thinking about what a rather enjoyable day they had and had tiny, almost nonexistent smiles dancing on their lips. They enter the castle and their smiles disappear instantly.

Dumbledore had come to greet them in the Entrance Hall. "Ah, Severus, Minerva, is our young Mr. Potter doing fine? Did he enjoy the candy from me?"

Severus immediately puts up his Occlumency blocks so that Albus can't see what really happened that day. "Yes, he enjoyed them very much," he replies, fingering the small package in the pocket of his robes. "And as for how he's doing, he's very excited about coming to Hogwarts." There. No lie, just not all of the truth.

"Very good, very good," Albus says, smiling. He starts to walk off but pauses. He looks back at them, the incessant twinkling of his blue eyes watching them. "Oh, I have forgotten. Around 7:30 this morning, I felt a disturbance in one of my guardianship. That wouldn't be about Mr. Potter, would it?"

"Please, people die every day, Albus," Minerva says in a stern voice. "You're the guardian of multiple children; any one of them could have gone into their inheritance, or died, or they were emancipated, or even they were given lord status in a will; that does _not_ mean that Mr. Potter is involved. Do you think we are careless?"

"Ah, forgive me, Minerva. This old man seems to forget those whom he can trust," Dumbledore says, walking away. He obviously wasn't sorry at all.


	3. The Month Before School

Harry opens his eyes and looks up at Malfoy Manor. His breath catches. His amazement was not something he has to fake. He mentally shakes his head. No matter how many times he’s seen this manor, he’s always still in awe at the size and beauty of it. It was no wonder Draco hadn’t wanted to move out even after he had graduated from Hogwarts.

Lucius smirks at the awe on Harry’s face. “You will be staying here for the remainder of the summer. Feel free to make yourself at home.” He pauses and quickly adds, “A real home.”

Harry smiles shyly at the man, still not quite used to him not wanting to strangle him on sight. As they walk up to the front door, Harry momentarily wonders if his relationship with the Malfoys will change once Voldemort’s resurrected.

He minutely shakes his head. That was something he could think on later.

The front door slowly opens and Harry feels like he’s just stepped into a palace. “Come on,” Draco says suddenly, tugging on Harry’s arm. “You can share my room!”

Lucius frowns. “You only have one bed in there, Draco.”

Draco blinks. “I know, father.” Lucius stares at Draco in disapproval. “Please!” Draco begs. “Just for the rest of the summer, then we won’t share a bed again!”

Lucius sighs, his resolve breaking. “Very well,” he murmurs. “But for this summer only!”

Draco’s expression brightens and he pulls Harry up the stairs.

Lucius sighs and walks into the den. Narcissa was sitting there, she had heard their conversation. “I’m assuming,” she says, “that since you were wary of allowing them to share a bed, that Draco truly fancies men.”

Lucius slumps next to her. “I’m afraid so.”

Narcissa raises an amused brow, “You’re _afraid_ so? Don’t you think that’s a little… hypocritical?”

Lucius blushes and look away. “Well, yes, but that’s aside the point. I just hope he doesn’t get into a relationship with Harry. If the boy lives with us, then things will get tricky.”

Narcissa chuckles. “Of course, we’ll be forcing them out of each other’s rooms each night only to wake up to see that they snuck in sometime in the night.”

Lucius groans. “I don’t even want to _think_ about that!”

* * *

Up in Draco’s room, the blond boy keeps glancing up at his new friend as said friend reads some of his school books. Apparently all the exhaustion they felt after shopping had disappeared as soon as they entered the house. How is Merlin’s name did he go his entire life without knowing he was a wizard? The lengths Muggles go to ignore Wizards.

But that wasn’t why he kept glancing up at him. He was thinking about how at Diagon Alley, Harry kept stealing glances at his godfather. Draco really didn’t understand this. Why would Harry be doing something like that?

His father had mentioned – in a conversation that Draco wished to never relive – that when he got a crush he would be acting something like that.

Did Harry fancy his godfather?

Draco shakes his head; that couldn’t _possibly_ be true!

He needs something to get his mind off this. “Hey, Harry!” Harry looks up from his potions’ book.

“Yeah, Draco?”

“Do you want to do something other than reading? Reading’s so _boring_!” he whines and doesn’t notice the amused glint in Harry’s eyes. Draco was being such a child.

“But Draco,” Harry says, looking back at his book, “how will you become an amazing wizard like your father if you don’t study?”

Draco scowls and says, “Don’t tell me you’re turning into one of those bookish types!” But Harry could see a strange emotion in his eyes and the other boy ends up picking up a book to read. Draco pointedly ignores Harry’s look. “Well, you could at least tell me if you have any questions about the Wizarding World as I’m sure it’s much different from the Muggle one,” Draco offers.

Harry pauses and looks to be considering something. Should he reveal to Draco some of his secrets? He certainly wouldn’t be telling the other boy about him going back in time, but that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t tell him some things. The blonde already knew he was abused so…

“Um… what are the punishments for child abuse?” Harry asks quietly.

Draco’s eyes snap up to him. “Well,” he says slowly with a frown. “I’m not quite sure, but I’d assume it is extremely high because we wizards value children. Children carry on a family line and, sorry for being cliché here, they’re the future.” He shrugs. “But why are you asking about this?” he asks, dreadfully confused.

Harry blinks. Ah, so maybe Draco _hadn’t_ figured it out just yet. “No reason,” Harry mumbles. “So we go to school on September first, right?”

Draco blinks at the suddenly change of subject. “Yeah, we do. You better be in Slytherin!”

Harry frowns. “I’m sorry, but what is Slytherin?”

The other boy was aghast and Harry was trying hard not to chuckle. “Slytherin is only _the best_ House at Hogwarts!”

“House?” asks Harry, playing the part of a muggle-raised wizard perfectly.

Draco looks shocked. “You mean to tell me that you spent a day with Professors McGonagall and Snape and they didn’t _once_ mention Houses?”

Harry slowly shakes his head, wracking his memory to see if that were true. Thankfully it was the truth; he hadn’t been paying that much attention earlier, having finally been reunited with his love.

“Well, there are four Houses at Hogwarts: Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff.” Harry notices he sneers the last two. “Slytherin represents cunning. Ravenclaw represents intelligence. For Gryffindor, it’s bravery, and Hufflepuff loyalty. We get sorted into a House at the beginning of your schooling there.

Now was time to insert one of the many theories that had been swimming about in Harry’s head. “But,” he asks with a frown. “Couldn’t someone have the characteristics of more than one House? And don’t people change over time? What if, after a few years at the school, someone no longer fits into a House? Would they have to stay in that same House the rest of their school years?”

Draco pauses and looks at Harry in shock. He had never thought of that before. “Huh,” he says. “I’ll have to bring that up with Uncle Sev. That does seem like it could be a problem… I’ve heard my father say that some Sortings take a long time, maybe that’s why: they have characteristics of more than one House and the hat can’t decide on which they most belong.”

“The hat?” asks Harry curiously. Had Draco really known how they were going to be Sorted before they were? He hadn’t known that.

Draco nods. “There’s this ratty old Hat that they stick on our heads and it calls out a House for you to be Sorted into. My father told me about it.”

Harry nods.  “So,” he says, trying to make it sound casual. “Is Professor Snape coming around anytime?”

Draco blinks. Harry had just brought up his godfather. Why had he brought up his godfather? “Um…” Draco says suspiciously. “He will probably show up sometime. He likes to check up on me and make sure I’m keeping up with my lessons. Is there a reason you wanted to know.”

Harry could blatantly see the suspicion in his new friend’s eyes. Did Draco suspect him of fancying Severus? Was he that obvious? Harry just shrugs unconcernedly, thankful that he had had many years extra to perfect his lies. “He has been nice to me and I want to thank him the next time I see him. I can’t very well have him surprise me and not have what I’m going to give him ready yet, that would be rude, don’t you think?”

The suspicion in the blonde’s eyes dulls a bit. “Yeah, I guess you’re right about that.”  Harry then nods and turns back to his book, thankful that the blonde was so gullible.

* * *

It was later that evening when Severus indeed showed up. He was staying for dinner and Harry was beyond flustered, yet it didn’t show on his face. He just appeared indifferent as Draco keeps sneaking suspicious (although one wouldn’t be able to tell that) glances at him and Lucius sneaking horrified looks at his son. Harry didn’t know what that was about, but he figured he didn’t want to.

Severus was confused as to the strange mood that hovered over the table. He could understand Narcissa’s expectant glances at her husband, mentally asking him to introduce her to Harry, but Severus couldn’t understand anything else, except, maybe, Harry. Harry appeared to be completely indifferent.

But that was to be expected. He came from an abusive home and was suddenly thrown into a loving household and he had no idea how to act. But Severus, somewhat troubled by this thought, didn’t like how Harry’s eyes currently held no emotion. He loved it when they sparked, particularly with glee.

Mentally frowning, Severus ponders about this feeling. Yes, he loved it when children were happy, which they frequently weren’t when around him, but he feels like the reason behind this was different. Why was it different?

He curses the silence as it left him with his thoughts. Without looking up he clears his throat and smirks. “Albus had found out he lost control of one of his charges this morning.”

Lucius smirks, but Narcissa frowns worriedly. “Did he suspect you?”

Severus snorts. “Of course not, he thinks I hate Harry.”

Draco frowns. “Uncle Sev, why is that? You’ve mentioned it before but never really explained it. Why would you hate Harry?”

Severus glances up at him before looking at Harry, who was curiously looking at him as well. “Well,” he says slowly, wondering if he could really tarnish the name of the dead father of an abused child and tell said child how much of a bastard said father was. He mentally winces – that sounds horrible! “Harry, your father was… rather cruel to me when we were at Hogwarts. He and his little gang spent hours entertaining themselves by bullying me.”

Harry looks horrified. “That’s… that’s so mean!” he exclaims. “W-why would he do that?”

Severus blinks in shock. If Harry was anything like James Potter in personality, he probably would’ve laughed.  Maybe the boy really was more like his mother. Severus shrugs unconcernedly. “It was just something he did.” He said it as though to end the subject.

Everyone catches this, but Harry still had one more thing to say. With a frown he says, “Then he’s no father of mine!” He huffs and eats his dinner, ignoring the shocked looks sent his way. Harry had thought about this statement many times in his old life, and there were times when he truly meant it. Why should he call a cruel man who hurt his love his father – even if the man did turn out **relatively** okay in the end? There was nothing saying he had to!

Besides, he **loathed** bullies – they remind him of Dudley which reminds him of the Dursleys which now reminds him of rape…

Harry shudders slightly at the memory. That was something he didn’t want to relive. He gulps and shakily continues eating, ignoring everyone’s gazes.

Severus had caught to shudder and was racking his brain for the reason why. Could… could Harry be thinking about his relatives and what that disgusting whale of a man did to him? He mentally scowls and curses the Dursleys, but then, his eyes flash to Lucius. The man didn’t know the extent of Harry’s abuse, and if he mentions this, the man would surely take it to court and the Dursleys will ultimately be thrown in Azkaban.

“Lucius,” Severus says silkily, “there is something we need to discuss, perhaps after dinner?”

Lucius blinks in confusion but doesn’t voice it as he only nods. “Very well,” he says smoothly.

Harry glances up at his love. What was he planning? Did he notice the shiver? Worse, did he connect it? The boy chews his lip with a creased brow; he can’t have the Dursleys thrown in Azkaban just yet. He needs to discredit that foul man, but that would have to wait until Voldemort returned. Or did it?

If Dumbledore was thrown in Azkaban now, then Voldemort would have all the time he needs to revive. And Harry could use that time to procure the Horcruxes! That’s just what he needs! But… why not break down the old man in the public’s eye before putting him on trial.

Harry in no way doubted Mr. Malfoy’s contacts – he could surely get Dumbledore in Azkaban with the right information – but why do it now? Why not at the end of the year after Voldemort attempts to kill Harry? Or maybe even after fourth year, that is, if everything else works out the way it did in his timeline.

Harry would just have to wait and see.

When dinner was finished, and Lucius had finally officially introduced his wife to Harry, the two grown men make their way into the sitting room. “What’s on your mind, Severus?” asks Lucius, nursing a glass of firewhiskey.

Severus suddenly places privacy wards around the room, causing Lucius to stiffen in apprehension. What was so important that the dour Potions Master had to put up that kind of ward? “Now, I know you know that Mr. Potter was abused, but you do not know the extent at which he was,” Severus says, looking his friend seriously in the eye. Lucius’ stomach drops. Those Muggles couldn’t have, could they?

“Which types then?” Lucius asks in a voice barely above a whisper.

Severus searches his memory. “Well, all I know for certain are physical, neglect, and…” he pauses to calm his magic which was flaring about at random intervals. “Sexual; his uncle molested and raped the poor boy.”

Lucius sits in shock. The Harry Potter had been sexually abused? That’s a scandal! “And Albus knew this?”

“I believe so,” Severus says. The two of them sit in silence for a little while longer. “We need to speak with the boy; he needs to tell us what else his relatives did to him.”

Lucius looks uneasy. “You know he probably won’t cooperate. I know that he is intelligent, but most abused children won’t believe they’re abused.” He had been a prefect when Severus went to Hogwarts. He had seen the signs in the younger boy, but Severus adamantly claimed he was treated normally. It took Lucius until the Malfoy was out of Hogwarts to get Severus to admit to being mistreated.

“I realize that,” Severus says with a suffering sigh. How would they get the boy to cooperate? Just then, the floo flares and out comes Minerva McGonagall. Severus blinks at her. “Hello, Minerva. What brings you here?”

She rolls her eyes. “Of course,” she says with a smile but then scowls. “Albus is being aggravating right now,” she says.

Severus nods in understanding. “Well, we were just about to invite Harry in here so that he could tell us about what exactly happened at his home.”

Minerva nods and sits down. “You do realize that little Slytherin will undoubtedly try to worm his way out of answering any questions.”

Severus and Lucius both glance at each other in confusion. “I’m sorry,” Lucius says, “but whom are you talking about?”

“Why, Harry, of course.”

“But,” Lucius says with a frown, “he’s not a Slytherin. He’s probably a Gryffindor through and through.”

Minerva rolls her eyes. “I’ve already come to terms that most, if not all, abused children end up in Slytherin. I have no hard feelings about it,” she says. Severus was blinking in shock. Harry might end up in his House? He felt some strange feeling inside him, but he steadfastly ignores it.

“Okay, I’ll go get him,” he says while standing up. He walks out of the room and heads out to Draco’s room, where the boy will certainly be.

When he reaches the room, he hears Draco say, “So… exactly how do you think of Uncle Sev?”

There was a pause before Harry asks, “What do you mean?”

There was a ruffle of fabric, where Draco undoubtedly shrugs. “I mean… the way you talk about him… it sounds as though you might… like… him…”

Severus’ eyes widen and he stares at the door.

He hears a snort. “What are you talking about, Draco? That’s not right!” Severus winces and looks away. He knew he wasn’t attractive, but hearing it from someone else’s mouth still hurt. “I mean, he’s a guy!” Severus blinks before feeling like slapping his forehead. Of course! The boy was from the Muggle world!

“What are _you_ talking about?” Draco asks. “So what if he’s a guy?”

There was a rather long pause. “So… fancying blokes… isn’t a bad thing in the Wizarding World?”

“Of course it isn’t! Oh, I forgot! You’re from the Muggle World, right? They don’t like two blokes or girls together…”

Harry then says, “But… I can’t say Professor Snape isn’t… attractive.” Severus’ eyes widen. “But… I’m eleven! For one thing, I don’t even truly know if that’s what this feeling is! Besides,” his voice gets quiet here, “I don’t know if he’d even feel the same…”

The two fall silent before Draco coughs and says, “Well, Uncle Sev’s a good guy. He wouldn’t want to hurt you.”

Severus shifts slightly with a frown. The boy finds him attractive? That doesn’t make any sense! And how would he know? He’s only eleven! He waits a few minutes before knocking on the door and walking inside. “Harry,” he says. “Can you come with me for a second?”

Harry blinks and sets his book down. “Okay,” he says. He sends a smile at Draco and they head out of the room. The silence as they walk back to the sitting room is awkward for Severus.

When they reenter the room, Lucius asks, “What took you so long?” He doesn’t get an answer and Harry was sitting in his chair stiffly. He keeps sending glances at Severus. Did he hear what he had told Draco? He just rolls his eyes. “Whatever,” he says with an eye roll. “So,” he says looking at Harry, “Harry, we need to know what happened at your house.”

Harry’s heart stops and he freezes. His mind flashes back to the last week at the Dursleys. He starts to shake and his grip on the armrests tightens. “Harry,” Severus says but then the boy suddenly calms. The adults frown at this.

“I…” he bites his lip. “D-do we have to?”

“Harry,” Minerva says softly. “We need to bring those disgusting people in. We need to send them to Azkaban, the Wizarding Prison.”

Harry shakes his head. “C-can’t we just… You said I won’t have to go back! But… if it goes to court, wouldn’t I have to t-testify?” he asks, horrified.

Severus sighs, “I know I said that, Harry.” He gets up and heads over to the boy. “But this is important, Harry. If we don’t do this, Albus will send you back there.”

“But… can’t we deal with it then?” the boy asks. “W-wouldn’t it make him seem worse if he tries to send me back after you have saved me?”

The three adults blink. Yup, they were all thinking, he’s definitely a Slytherin. “That could work,” Lucius says. “If he tries to send you back, we could sell the story to the Prophet. I heard that Skeeter person could really spin a tale.”

Harry smiles at the three. “So… can I go back? I was in the middle of a really good book…”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Severus says, moving out of his way. Harry bolts out of the room, leaving the three to their own thoughts.

They were silent for about the next five minutes before Severus speaks up. “I think he should know about Remus.”

The two others in the room look at him in shock. “Where did you get to that conclusion?” Minerva asks.

“Well,” Severus says. “The wolf is probably the closest thing he has to a family. He should meet him.”

“I’ll…” Lucius says, “…get in touch with him.”

Severus and Minerva both nod and stand. “Well, we better get going or Albus will notice we’re gone.” And with a flash of the floo, the two were gone.

* * *

Two weeks later, Lucius called Harry to come to the sitting room, someone was there to see him. Slipping open the door, Harry peeks in. “Hello,” he says, coming inside. “You said someone wished to see me, Mr. Malfoy?”

“Ah yes,” Lucius says from his seat by the fireplace. Harry’s eyes snap to the only other person in the room. They were sitting in the other chair; both were facing away from Harry. “Come here, Harry.”

Harry shuffles closer and his eyes catch the brown hair of the man and he frowns. He didn’t know any man in this life with brown hair. He stays quiet and comes up between the two chairs. “What is it, Mr. Malfoy?”

“Harry,” he says, looking up at the boy. He takes a sip of his wine and then gestures to the man. “This is your second godfather, Remus Lupin.”

Harry’s eyes snap to Remus. The man was looking at him with a slightly desperate look in his eyes. “Harry,” he whispers.

Harry blinks at him. A memory of Remus lying dead at the final battle flashes before Harry’s eyes, and the boy gulps. He smiles softly at Remus and says, “Hello.”

“Oh god,” Remus says. “You look so much like your father, Harry. But… you’ve got your mother’s eyes.”

Harry stares at him and realizes that was the first time someone said that in this life. “You knew my parents?” he asks, a hopeful look dancing in his eyes.

“Yes,” Remus says. “God, they were amazing people, Harry.”

“Well,” Lucius says, standing up, “I’ll leave you two alone.” He then leaves the room, drinking down his wine.

Harry watches Lucius leave, his mind racing to sort out what he already knew about the man sitting in front of him. What could he say without being suspicious? The conversation needs to start!

But luckily, he doesn’t have to start the conversation. “Harry,” Remus says. The boy looks back over at him. He seemed uncomfortable. “Harry, Severus told me about your relatives.” Harry blanches. “Please tell me that’s not true,” he pleads. Harry’s averted eyes are all the answer he needs. “Oh Merlin!” he calls as he lets his head fall into his hands. “Oh Merlin, I’ve been such a horrible godfather!”

“No!” Harry calls, heading over to the man. “You didn’t know!” he says, crouching down in front of him. “It’s not your fault!” he says.

Once Harry calms Remus down, the next few hours are spent talking about Harry’s parents. When it came time for the man to leave, Harry really didn’t want him to. “Bye,” he says sadly.

“Goodbye Harry,” he says, ruffling the boy’s hair. “I’ll be sure to owl you when you get to school. You should probably be studying – Severus is a really hard Professor.” He chuckles slightly and gives the boy a hug.

Harry smiles at him. “I know that about Professor Snape.” He gives Remus a grin. “I look forward for making him proud during potions – he is the best, after all!”

Remus nods. “He always has been good a potions. Well, I must be off.”

They smile at each other and Remus leaves the house. Harry stares at the closed door. “So, is that your godfather? Which one was it?”

Harry turns around to see Draco standing there, looking over at him from the doorway. “Yeah, that was Remus.”

Draco nods. “Then maybe he’ll give you and Sev a chance.” There was an evil grin on his face as Harry blushes.

“Draco!”


	4. Hogwarts

On September the first, Harry and Draco were sitting alone in a compartment, waiting for the train to pull out of the station. They had arrived only minutes before and thankfully avoided meeting the Weasleys. Harry was sure that once he saw Ron, it would take all his self control not to strangle the ginger.

Draco sighs. “I still can’t believe father forbade you from taking Hebina!” he whines.

Harry chuckles. “Come on, Draco, it’ll be okay. Besides, I was the one who suggest that I not take her.” Draco looks scandalized. “Think about, Draco. Hebina’s a basilisk, and, even if she is small and can only paralyze, that’s still dangerous. I don’t think I can take her until I know what I could do with her at Hogwarts. Your father’s taking good care of her.”

Draco sighs. “That’s still not fair! That would’ve been so cool! Whatever, just be sure to take her next year!” Harry nods, causing Draco to grin. “So, we’re off to Hogwarts! I’m heading to Slytherin!” he says haughtily.

Harry smiles at the other boy. “I know Draco, you’ve told me nearly fifty times already.” Draco had the decency to blush. “But let’s just hope I make it into Slytherin as well.”

Draco nods fervently. “Well, we can’t deal with that at the moment. What of your classes are you most excited to take?”

Harry blinks at him. “Well, Potions for one,” he says, donning a thoughtful expression. “Defense also sounds interesting, and maybe Transfiguration.”

Draco nods fervently before smirking. “Of course you’d like Potions!”

Harry just rolls his eyes. He’s been trying to play off Draco’s thought of him fancying Snape all summer, but he’s had no success. If this continues, Harry was afraid he’d have to obliviate the boy. He frowns. There was also the thought that Snape might have overheard their conversation. That was indeed troubling.

Draco then says. “Whatever. Anyway, I heard from father that the Defense teacher is shit this year. We might have to be teaching ourselves out of the library this year, eh, Harry?” Harry sighs. “But Transfiguration might be fun,” Draco adds quickly, trying to appease his friend.

Draco had been doing that since the last week of summer and Harry had no idea why. Until this morning, that is. Draco had been exceedingly antsy and when they got on the platform, he ushered the Potter onto the train before he could even _glance_ at anyone else. Draco was scared that Harry would no longer want to be Draco’s friend with all these other kids their age. It was rather childish but amusing nonetheless.

Harry smiles at Draco. “I can’t wait!”

“I know!” Draco says happily before he suddenly goes sullen. “Too bad first years aren’t allowed on the Quidditch teams.” He eyes Harry. “You better be in Slytherin. We’d win the Quidditch cup for sure! You’re an excellent seeker!” Harry blushes slightly at the praise. “We just have to find a way to curb that rule…”

Before Harry can comment, the door opens and a girl looks at them in exasperation. Harry notices Draco tensing. “Have either of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville’s lost one.” she asks in a slightly bossy voice. Harry mentally smiles at the younger Hermione.

He shakes his head. “Nope, but we’ll keep our eyes out.”

She sighs and leans against the door frame. “I’ve checked nearly every compartment on this train!” she exclaims. “Can I rest here?” Harry shrugs and Draco makes a quiet, annoyed sound. She sits next to Draco after closing the door. “Who are you two? I’m Hermione Granger.”

“Granger,” Draco mumbles. “That’s not a wizard name.”

Hermione blinks. “No, I’m a Muggleborn.” Draco holds in a sneer after he glances at Harry.

“Ah!”exclaims Harry. He was smirking inwardly. He could finally plant one of his theories. “So you’re just from a long line of squibs and muggles who’ve married into your family!” The two stare at him. “What?” he asks innocently.

“What makes you say _that_?” Draco asks, his brow creased in thought. Hermione was staring at the floor, obviously thinking over his explanation.

“Well,” Harry says sheepishly. “Magic just can’t suddenly appear out of nowhere. And the only thing I could think of is that Muggleborns are actually from a pureblood family that had a squib. I mean, Severus said that Squibs have magic, just not enough for it to be useful. They still pass the ability to use magic down to their children; the amount of magic said child gets is decided by fate, though. Or am… am I just way off the mark?”

Draco was blinking at him. “That… makes sense,” he murmurs. He frowns and looks at Hermione. “We can have Uncle Sev give her a heritage potion or something to test that theory.”

“Heritage potion?” she asks curiously.

“Yeah,” Draco says. “It’s a potion that, when drunken, conjures a paper that has the drinker’s family tree on it.” There was something sparking in Hermione’s eyes that Harry notices.

“You really like learning new things,” he comments.

Hermione blushes. “Is it that obvious?” she asks sheepishly.

Harry shrugs. “That just means you’d make a great Ravenclaw!” he says cheerfully. Hermione pauses, considering it.

“I don’t know,” she mumbles. “It’s said that Dumbledore was a Gryffindor! It always seemed, by far, the best.”

Harry clenches a fist to reel in his anger at the mention of that foul git. “Just because you’re brave, doesn’t mean you’re loyal. Which would you rather have: a friend who’s exceedingly brave, brave enough to even turn his back on you, or a friend who’d embrace your differences and only asks that you do the same in return? Frankly, I’d rather not have friends who are willing to give me up without a second thought the moment they begin to question me.”

Hermione and Draco stare at him stunned. During his mini-rant, none of them had noticed the door open. There was a round-faced boy standing there staring at Harry in awe. “B-but,” he suddenly stutters. He blushes at the stares he gets. He warily eyes Draco. “Wouldn’t a Slytherin leave you to get hurt if it could save his own skin?”

Draco’s eyes narrow. Harry clucks his tongue. “What’re the Slytherin traits?”

“Being sneaky.”

“Cunning.”

 “Ambitiousness.”

Harry nods. “Does that say anything about back-stabbing? They’re cunning, yes, but that doesn’t mean they’ll throw away their friends just because of some rumor. They’d find out the truth, and, if the person is merely an acquaintance, they’d find a way to make that person useful to them. Yes, they may not ever be able to find many _true_ friends, but at least they wouldn’t have any fake ones. I think that’s better in the long run.”

Draco’s eyes were narrowed. “You seem to know a lot about Slytherins even though you’ve come from the Muggle World.”

Harry shrugs. “I listen.” He glances at Hermione and Neville. If everything turned out great, those two would be out of Gryffindor and away from Dumblefuck’s influence. “So what Houses do you think you’re going to be in?”

The round-faced boy fidgets before murmur, “My parents were Gryffindors…” He doesn’t meet Harry’s eyes.

 “But you don’t want to be?” the Boy-Who-Lived questions. Neville bites his lip and frowns in worry. “I don’t see anything wrong with that. Nobody wants to be in their parents’ shadows.”

Neville still looks uncomfortable. “My Gran said…”

Draco snorts. Three pairs of eyes turn to him. “I’m sorry,” he says, the words sounding slightly awkward on his tongue. “But she’s _not_ your parent. She has no influence over you! Who cares what she thinks?”

“B-but… she’s frightening,” Neville murmurs.

Draco shrugs. “Then just prove to her that no matter what House you end up in, you’re an awesome wizard.” He chances a glance at Harry, whose eyes were sparking with glee. Draco nods. “Yup,” he says. “Just show her you’re competent! Then she’d have nothing to complain about!”

Neville still looks unsure. “Come on, you can at least give it a try. Besides, no one can help what House they end up in,” Harry says with a shrug. Neville gives him a sheepish smile. “By the way, I don’t believe I caught your name.”

Neville blinks. “Oh, I’m Neville, Neville Longbottom.”

Harry smiles and says, “I’m Harry. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Neville tentatively takes the seat next to Harry, and Draco’s eyes narrow ever so slightly. Harry suppresses the urge to smile. Draco was being so childish! “Well, Neville, what class are you most looking forward to?”

Neville fidgets a little before shyly saying, “Herbology… I really like plants so…” he trails off and looks away.

Harry just smiles. “Than if you like plants, than you will probably like the class!”

“I guess…” Neville says quietly. He opens his mouth to say more when the door is suddenly thrown open. Standing in the doorway is an enraged, freckled red-head. Ronald Billius Weasley. Harry’s eyes flash angrily and he grips the seat tightly.

Oh how he _loathed_ that boy… Why had he left the compartment? That didn’t happen last time! Plastering a fake smile on his face, he asks, “What can we do for you?” Oh how he was thanking his magic for making his hair grow longer over this last month, if only enough to reach his eyes. He was also mentally thanking Severus for giving him that potion to correct his eyesight last minute.

No way could a blundering idiot like Weasley recognize him.

Ron scowls at the strange boy. “Where’s Potter?” he snaps. “Dumbledore promised _I_ would become Harry Potter’s best mate! He promised!”

Draco’s eyes narrow. Neville looks shocked and confused; poor boy… Hermione looked confused but also looked to be thinking up a reason. She kept stealing glances at Harry.

Harry glares at the ginger. “And what makes you say Potter would even _like_ someone like you?” Harry catches the glee swimming in Draco’s eyes. “And how could Dumbledore make a promise like that? The only way I see it is if he confunds Potter! And that’s illegal to use on children!”

Ron sneers at the strange raven-haired, green-eyed boy. Now where had he heard that description before? “What do _you_ know? Who are you, anyway?”

Harry stays silent, for he doesn’t have to say anything. “Who are you to ask such a question of my friend, Weasley?” Draco asks with narrowed eyes and a sneer on his lips. “My father won’t take too kindly to you harassing my friend; I wonder what he’d do…”

Ron pales and backs out of the doorway. He couldn’t have his father getting in any trouble at the ministry! They were barely getting any money as it is. He sneers at Draco. “Just you wait, Malfoy! Your father won’t have that much power in the ministry once Potter’s on my side!”

“You talk of him like he’s a chess piece,” Harry comments blithely, but anyone smart would have noticed the absolute abhorrence in his Avada Kedavra green eyes. Sadly, Ronald Weasley was not smart.

“Of course he’s a chess piece!” he shouts at the stupid boy sitting in the corner. “Whoever has him on their side wins the next war! Dumbledore says You-Know-Who is going to come back, so we need Potter on our side. Once he kills You-Know-Who once and for all, we don’t need that idiot Boy-Who-Lived anymore!”

“What makes you say he’s an idiot?” barks Draco. He was pissed. Even _he_ could see that Harry was rather intelligent; it was kind of hard _not_ to notice! Harry’s mind was basically a sponge! All he had to do was read something once and he got it almost perfectly on his first try!

“Because his father was!” Ron replies with a laugh. “Everyone knows it; he surely won’t inherit any smarts from his mudblood mother!”

Harry’s eyes widen and he stares at Ron in shock. He knew that the Weasley harbored no kind feelings toward him, but he’d never even considered that he didn’t like Hermione. He had married her in the future for Merlin’s sake! Since when was Ron such a blood-purist?

Harry chances a glance at Hermione to see her dreadfully confused. Neville looks shocked, but too scared to say anything. Draco, on the other hand, was seething. After getting to know Harry this past month, he truly saw no difference between half-bloods and purebloods. Thanks to Harry, he was beginning to believe that blood status didn’t matter at all…

Draco looks over at Harry to see him staring at the Weasley in shock. Draco growls. That’s it! This red-headed menace has to leave! He sneers at Ron. “Just leave already, Weasley! We already told you that we don’t know where Potter is!”

Ron sneers at Draco and turns on his heel, the door magically closing behind him. Harry turns and looks out the window. He takes a few deep breaths to keep himself in his seat and not chase that bastard red head down and hex him into oblivion before killing him. During his inward struggle, Harry misses the concerned look sent to him by Draco.

“Harry,” Draco says, snapping Harry out of his stupor, “are you okay?”

Harry, clenching his jaw, says, “I’m fine, Draco.” All three other occupants don’t believe him but don’t push the subject. “How long will it take before we get to Hogwarts?” he asks, not looking away from the window.

“It shouldn’t take much longer,” Hermione says quickly. Harry nods stiffly and closes his eyes. He needed to calm down! He didn’t have that much of a reason to hate Ron just yet.

“W-was that true?” Neville asks. “Did Dumbledore really promise that boy would be friends with Harry Potter? Why would he do that?”

Draco scowls and crosses his arms. “He can’t promise that!” he snaps and glares out the window. Harry was _his_ friend! They had spent the last month with each other!

Neville pales and doesn’t say anything else. Who would want Draco’s anger directed at them?

Suddenly, Hermione asks, “Harry, do you really think that? Do you really think that Dumbledore would confund you?” Harry looks at her. He truly did believe, but how could he say his reasoning without giving anything away? He supposedly hasn’t even met the old man!

“W-wait… I’m confused,” Neville says, “I thought we were talking about Harry Potter. Harry isn’t…” he trails off. His eyes widen as he takes in Harry’s green eyes and raven locks. Harry shifts his head and his scar peeks through his locks. “Y-you’re… no way!”

Harry slowly nods and then scowls. “As if I want to be friends with a prat like that,” he snaps. “I hate Dumbledore!”

Hermione frowns. “How can you hate him? All you know is that he promised you’d be friends with that prat. Maybe he’s not all bad; maybe he just made some bad decisions…”

“He left me with abu—” Harry stops himself. He scowls and grumbles, “None of you would understand…”

“A-abu-what, Harry?” asks Neville.

Harry stays silent and the three eleven year olds glance at each other in concern. What was Harry going to say? Abusive? But that doesn’t make sense!!! He’s Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived! Wouldn’t Dumbledore do everything in his power to make sure said boy was happy and loved? Apparently not…

“So,” Hermione says, trying to change the subject, “um… how do you suppose we’ll be sorted?”

Draco snorts. “Forget everything you’ve heard about that!” Hermione and Neville both look curiously at Draco. “Father told me that you just have to put on a ratty old hat and his scours your head before shouting out the best House for you.”

“That’s an invasion of privacy!” Hermione says in horror.

Draco shrugs. “It’s only for a few minutes at the very most. Some people don’t even have to wait five seconds!”

“I hope that will be me,” Neville squeaks. “I don’t want people to stare at me for a whole five minutes!”

Draco winces in empathy, “That would be rather unnerving.”

Harry, having calmed down for the most part, says, “Well, wherever we end up, let’s stay friends, okay?” He gets three nods in return and he breaks out in a grin. Just then, there was a knock on the door to the compartment before it opens.

It was a kind-looking woman. She smiles at them and asks, “Anything from the trolley, dearies?” It was then that the four eleven year olds noticed the trolley full of sweets.

They didn’t really buy all that much; they weren’t all that hungry. It was just a few chocolate frogs and a box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans. They shared the box, getting all sorts of strange flavours. After about five beans, Hermione called it quits; they were just too weird for her.

Suddenly, an announcement was made over the intercom. “We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes’ time. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken to the school separately.”

The four first years look at each other in excitement. They grinned and stuffed their remaining treats into their pockets for later.

The train pulled to a stop and the four made their way out of their compartment into the crowding hallway. When they finally got off the train, they hear a booming voice call, “Firs’ years! Firs’ years! O’er here! Come this way, firs’ years!”

The four first years glance around before their eyes land on a giant of a man towering over the bustling students. “He’s huge!” Neville whispered as he followed Harry, Hermione, and Draco.

Harry wasn’t really listening. He keeps his eyes on his old friend. He knew he wouldn’t be able to trust him this time—he trusted Dumbledore way too much.

“Four ta a boat!” calls out Hagrid.

“That’s great!” Hermione beams at them as they all clamber into a boat.

Looking at the water was when Neville suddenly says, “Oh no.”

“What is it?” asks Harry.

“Trevor, my toad; I never found him!” Neville moans.

“I’m sure he’ll turn up,” Harry says in such a sure tone that made the other three look at him oddly. That was soon forgotten as the boat gave a gigantic lurch and they were off. Eagerly staring in the direction they were headed, Harry braced himself for seeing his home once more. He hadn’t seen it in years. As soon as the war ended, everyone who was a sixth or seventh year was automatically granted auror status. Thus, Ginny saw no reason for them to return to Hogwarts. She took him by the arm and they never returned to the one place Harry had ever called home. Now he was going to see it again.

As soon as Hogwarts came into view, nearly everyone gasped. They had no idea it would be that big or beautiful.

The first boats were reaching the cliff and Hagrid shouts, “Heads down!” Harry and his group clamber out of their boat and onto the underground harbor. “Oy, you there!” called Hagrid to Neville. “Is this yer toad?”

Neville’s eyes almost pop out of his head. “Trevor!” he calls out blissfully, holding out his hands to grab his toad.

Just as Hagrid knocked on the huge front door, Harry breaks out into a grin and turns to his three friends. “We’re home.”

Draco and Neville break out in grins, but Hermione frowns slightly. Who would call a school a home?

Professor McGonagall opens the door at once. Harry worried his lips as a sudden thought passed through his head. _What if she was in on it?_ No. She couldn’t have been in on it; she couldn’t have betrayed one of her lions.   _But would she betray him now that he’ll be a Slytherin?_

Harry mechanically follows along with everyone, ignoring everything the two adults say to them. Harry registers McGonagall saying the exact same speech as she did the last time. Harry sees her walk away and watches the eleven year olds shuffle around.

His eyes narrow as Ron jumped up on a windowsill and peers down at the crowd. The Weasley searched the crowd for Potter. Harry scowls and ducks his head slightly to make sure his hair was covering his scar. “What the bloody hell is Weasley doing?” Draco hisses harshly.

“Is he _that_ desperate to find Harry?” Neville asks in a whisper, eyeing Weasley warily.

Hermione frowns. “He’s just a fame hound,” she whispers, getting nods from her friends.

Suddenly the Weasley screams and jumps from his perch. He shivers and the ghosts float in through where he had previously been standing. Harry snickers evilly and ignores the ghosts’ argument that sounded suspiciously staged now that it’s the second time he has heard it.

McGonagall comes back not a minute later, shooing off the ghosts. She turns back to the first years. “Follow me.”

Single file, they shuffle into the Great Hall. He hears Hermione and Neville gasp. “It’s been bewitched to look like the night sky,” Hermione explains in a whisper.

Suddenly, McGonagall sets a four legged stool in front of them, setting the ratty-looking Sorting Hat on top of it.

The Hat breaks out in the same song Harry had heard the first time around.

The Great Hall explodes in applause.

“Well, when you put it like that, none of the Houses sound too bad,” Neville murmurs, causing Harry to smile.

McGonagall steps forward with a roll of parchment. “And here it goes,” whispers Draco.

“When I call your name, come forward, place the hat on your head, and sit on the stool to be sorted.” She glances at the first years before calling out, “Abbott, Hannah.”

Harry tunes out the sorting, paying attention for strange differences, though there were none, and waiting for his friends’ names to be called.

“Granger, Hermione!”

Hermione chews her lip, glancing back at Harry, Neville, and Draco one more time before walking up to the stool. She places the hat one her head with a nervous look on her face.

“Ah, an intelligent one,” the Hat says to her. “But you’re brave, too. Hm… Very difficult… You have a great deal of ambition, yet you wouldn’t flourish in Slytherin. No…” Hermione listens carefully to the Hat’s words. “Oh, you have considered your friend’s words. Yes, you would do well in Gryffindor, but I cannot say it would be the best place for you. For your future, in Ravenclaw, you’ll thrive.” Hermione holds her breath as the seams of the Hat opens and he shouts, “RAVENCLAW!”

Running over to her table, Hermione chances a glance at her friends to see Harry giving her a thumbs up and a grin. Feeling more confident, Hermione allows herself to be greeted by her new housemates.

Neville’s name was called soon after. Sweaty, the boy stumbles up to the Hat. He sits down and Professor McGonagall puts it on his head. “A Longbottom, eh?” the Hat murmurs in Neville’s ear, “Gryffindor would be my first thought, but that’s not who _you_ are. Hm. You’re loyal, yes, extremely so. But you’re also brave when you need to be. This is extremely difficult…” Neville chews his lip the more the hat talks. “No need to be so nervous,” the Hat chides. “Well, you seem to be a bit more Hufflepuff than Gryffindor. You will undoubtedly grow more into your House as the years go by, so…” Neville holds his breath. “HUFFLEPUFF!”

The boy sags a bit in relief and takes the Hat off his head. Now he won’t have to fight Harry and Draco! With a grin, he greets his fellow Hufflepuffs.

Draco is called and he winks a bit at Harry. He swaggers up to the hat and it barely touches his head before screaming out, “SLYTHERIN!” He grins and joins the Slytherin table.

There were six more names and then, “Potter, Harry!”

Silence fell before the whispers quickly break out. He hears Ron gasp when he sees Harry, recognizing him as the boy in the train. Harry chances a glance up at Dumbledore and bites back a sneer. The man was looking extremely smug as Harry walks up to the hat, making sure to look extremely uncomfortable with the attention, not that he had to fake much.

He takes a breath and sets the Hat on his head.

“What is this?” the Hat murmurs in slight awe. “I have never met someone in your extremely intriguing position, Mr. Potter. You wish to be placed where I should have placed you all along? Yes, you would still do nicely in Slytherin, despite your many years in Gryffindor. Yes, and you will be closer to the object of your affections, hopefully that will not distract you too much. Good luck on your quest,” Harry holds in a smirk as the Hat shouts off, “SLYTHERIN!”

Harry takes off the Hat and sets it on the stool, ignoring the silence and walking over to the Slytherin table where Draco begins to clap for him, igniting the fuse for the rest of the Slytherins to cheer.

Chancing a glance at Dumbledore, Harry holds in a snicker at the man’s look of utter horror and shock. He moves his gaze to Severus and is pleased to find pride and happiness in the man’s eyes.

He sits next to Draco with a grin. “Congrats,” Draco says with a smirk. Harry smirks back.

Dumbledore says his few words when the Sorting finishes and then the food appears in front of everyone. Surprisingly, Dumbledore, after the initial moment, hid his anger well. Nearly everyone begins to speak as soon as the food arrives.

“I’m glad Neville and Hermione didn’t end up in Gryffindor,” Harry murmurs to Draco. Draco nods, but Harry could see a worried frown marring his face. Then Harry smiles. “But I’m even gladder I ended up in the same House as you.”

Draco grins at Harry. “Yeah, now I get to tease you about Uncle Sev more often,” Draco murmurs back with mirth.

Harry rolls his eyes. Merlin! He thought Draco had dropped that subject! It is then that Harry notices the discreet glances being sent his way from the other Slytherins. He glances out over the rest of the Great Hall and holds back a glare at the curious glances from the Ravenclaws, the open staring from the Hufflepuffs, and the gaping disbelief from the Gryffindors.

“It appears my Sorting didn’t sit too well with some people,” Harry says, nodding his head in Weasley’s direction. Draco looks up and glares back at the red head.

He then smirks to Harry, “He’s just sore you didn’t accept his friendship.”

Harry snorts. “Why would I accept a friendship from someone who thinks of me as a Merlin-damned chess piece?”

“Who thinks of you as a chess piece?” the boy across from Harry asks. It seems the Slytherins couldn’t hold back their curiosity anymore.

Harry looks at him and glances down the table. Everyone seems to be listening. “I found out on the train that Dumbledore asked a Weasley to be friends with me – the idiot told me himself when he didn’t realize who I was. He said I was just a chess piece, and that whoever has me on their side for the upcoming war – why he believes a war is coming forever escapes me – will win. Then he wants nothing to do with me. I’m Harry Potter; could I ask your name?”

 The boy nods to Harry. “My name’s Graham Montague. I’m a third year.” Harry nods back. “And your experience just proves you can’t trust those blood-traitorous Weasleys or the fool Dumbledore.” A few other students around him nod.

Movement to Harry’s right causes him to glance next to him. The Bloody Baron had taken the seat next to him.

Nearly all the other students immediately turn to their food as to not incite the Baron’s wrath. Harry turns back to his food and debates whether or not he should say what he was planning on. Channeling his Gryffindor side for a second, Harry says, “Don’t you think nearly a millennium of repentance is enough?”

He gives the Baron a significant look as he looks down at him. Nearly every student at the Slytherin table froze, causing the other tables to fall silent and look over. Within seconds, Harry has the attention of the entire Hall.

The Baron was looking at Harry with scrutiny. His eyes narrowed, trying to figure out how this boy had gotten the information about his death. He turns away with a grimace and hauntingly says, “Not even an eternity will be enough repentance.” He then glides upwards. He glances down at Harry and says, “You are the first to ever comment on such things. I look forward to seeing what else you can do; no one but you has ever been able to dig up my past.” He nods his head and floats away his chains rattling away behind him.

With his disappearance through the doors to the Great Hall, whispers break how.

Harry Potter knew of the Bloody Baron’s past?

Severus was looking curiously at the boy who was now being quietly bombarded with questions from his Slytherins. This was going to be a monstrous year, he just knew it. Glancing over to the Headmaster, Severus scowls at the look of rage covering his face.

Soon enough, the feast was over and, by the looks of his Slytherin’s faces, Harry hadn’t told them what they wanted to hear.

Albus spoke his few words and the Prefects set off, taking the little monsters to their respective common rooms.

When the doors to the Great Hall close at last, the teachers stand up to make their ways to either their House common rooms or to their quarters.

Severus made it to the Dungeons before anyone else thanks to his knowledge of the shortcuts. He stands in the shadows of the common room, waiting for the first years to arrive.

Harry follows Draco, the other first years, and Gemma Farley, one of the Slytherin Prefects. They reached the cellars and stopped by a wall. “Asphodel,” she says clearly. The wall suddenly lurches and opens to a passage.

The common room was tinged in green light, partly thanks to the light from the lake, leaking in from the windows. All the sofas were leather and all the wooden furniture was made of dark wood. Harry was awed by the expensive atmosphere.

“Sit on the couch,” Gemma says, walking to stand next to the fire place.

Once the first years were all seated, Snapes reveals himself. He steps from the shadows, getting the young children’s attention. “Welcome to Slytherin House,” he says silkily. “To your right there is a notice board, where the new password will be posted every fortnight. This is Gemma Farley, if you need help in any of your classes, she will point you in the right direction. There are a few other prefects in our House, but they all have been given different responsibilities; if you ask them for help, they will point you to either Ms. Farley or me.

“As a Slytherin, you must outwardly display House unity. As you may know by now, none of the other Houses enjoy our company. If you wish for friends outside this House, your best bet would be in Ravenclaw. Do not get caught with any wrongdoings. If you have a problem with a student in this House, settle it privately, we do not want anyone knowing anything they can use as weaknesses. Girls’ dormitories are on the left, boys’ on the right. Get to sleep. Curfew is at nine and breakfast is at seven.”

The first years scramble up to get to their dormitories and sleep. “Oh, and Mr. Potter,” Severus says silkily. “I will come fetch you tomorrow morning as I wish to speak to you.”

Harry nods slowly before following Draco up to their dorm.

Flopping down on his bed in his pajamas, Harry admires the silk curtains. “Tomorrow’s going to be interesting,” Draco says as he watches his owl fly off. “I wrote to father and told him our House placements. He will be pleased.” Harry nods. “I wonder what Uncle Sev wants to talk to you about.” Harry shrugs, ignoring the curious looks from their dorm mates, who had been surprisingly quiet. “Oh well, you’ll find out tomorrow. Good night, Harry.”

“Good night, Draco,” Harry says, falling asleep while listening to the quiet lapping of the lake against the windows.


	5. Paper, Plans, and Pain

The next morning, Harry awoke at around six with a smile on his face. Not only had he had the best sleep of his life, he had the best dream! It was of his and Severus’ wedding. He shakes his head slightly. Merlin, he was so sappy sometimes…

He winces slightly, hoping that his sappiness didn’t mean he was _entirely_ submissive to the older man. “I bet he likes someone with a backbone,” he whispers to himself. He’d think on that later. Severus was no pedophile. He wouldn’t be interested in someone as young as Harry was now. He’d give more of his attention to wooing Severus when he was older and a few other plans were already in place.

He slides out of his bed, and pads over to the bathroom. Ignoring the marble tiles, the pristine showers, and giant bathtub, Harry walks to the far end, where a talking mirror was. He chews his lip before walking in front of it – he truly hopes this one wasn’t rude like the one at the Weasleys. He looks to his right and finds a little cupboard with his name inscribed. He opens it and finds a brush Narcissa had insisted he bring. He pulls it out and tries to brush his hair.

He frowns when he finds his hair will still not flatten all too well – it has gotten better, but it still wasn’t flat against his head.

“Maybe you could find a potion that will help your hair,” the mirror supplies.

Harry gives it a smile. “If there’s anyone who could create a potion to fix my hair, it’d be Sev.” He then turns and looks at the tub. He did have some time… he might as well enjoy it.

He shrugs and walks back to the dorm and pulls out a towel and his clothes for the day before heading back. He turns on the tub and pulls off his clothes. It only takes him about a half a minute and he finds that the tub was already full and nearly over-flowing with bubbles. He moves to turn off the tap when he realizes it had already shut off magically.

Shrugging to himself, he lowers himself into the tub with a satisfied groan. At the Malfoys over the summer, Harry hadn’t allowed himself the indulgence of having a long bath. He only took showers. He couldn’t remember the last time he ever took a bath just to relax – even in his previous life.

Harry closes his eyes with a sigh. This is truly the first time he’s let himself relax in this life and he thinks that with the performance he’s pulled off already, he’s earned it. That brings him to the question of what Severus wanted to speak to him about. Harry worries his lip, wondering if Severus somehow found out he had been obliviated. Nothing good would come from that…

Harry mentally shakes his head – he should be thinking positively.

His eyes suddenly snap open and he peers at the door that slowly opens. He then remembers the scars littering his torso and slips deeper into the water so only his head was visible within the sea of bubbles and frowns as Blaise Zabini sleepily walks into the room. The boy yawns and stretches before opening his tired eyes and blinking at Harry. “Oh,” he says quietly. “I didn’t think anyone would be up this early…” Harry notices him enviously looking at the bath.

“Sorry,” Harry murmurs. “I’m an early riser… um… I don’t believe I caught your name last night.”

Blaise looks at him for a minute before muttering, “Blaise Zabini.” He turns and takes to completing his other morning rituals. “It’s okay. I’ll take a bath when you’re done. I had planned on taking one last night, but I was just too tired. I guess the excitement got to me.”

Harry chuckles quietly. “I guess the excitement got to everyone.” He was internally freaking out. How was he supposed to get out of the bath without Blaise seeing his scars? He’d left his wand in the other room and he didn’t know how to cast a Glamour charm wandless; he remembered Hermione telling him about that wandless spell being a bit more complicated – he really should have listened to her. In his panic, he doesn’t even think to try using the untraceable magic, his mind unconsciously deciding it would be too difficult.

Too soon, Blaise was done with everything else and glances expectantly at Harry. “Um…” Harry murmurs, embarrassed, “Could you step out for a minute?”

Blaise blinks before raising an eyebrow. “You that shy?” Harry fights the blush that he knew was forming. Blaise lets out a fake suffering sigh. “Fine,” he drawls.

Harry shakes his head slightly before dashing from the pool once he hears the door close. He quickly dries himself and slips on his uniform, glad that he had brought it in with him. Once he checks in the mirror to make sure none of his scars could be seen, Harry exits the bathroom.

He finds Blaise sitting on his bed, eyeing him curiously. “You can use it now.”

Blaise nods and walks to the bathroom, but before he goes in, he looks over at Harry, who was digging in his trunk for his wand. “I don’t know what you want to hide, but I’m always willing to lend an open ear.”

Harry freezes but doesn’t have to respond as the other boy slips into bathroom. Harry shakes his head. He had no idea Blaise Zabini was so perceptive. He frowns ever so slightly. He’d have to be extra careful around the other boy than.

Harry then crept out of the dorm room and into the common room. He took a deep breath and sighed happily. Wandering around the room, Harry finally felt at home at Hogwarts. He had always thought no place else in the castle would feel as much like home as Gryffindor tower, but now he knew he had been wrong.

This common room feels more like home than anywhere else. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and readies himself for the day. When he opens his eyes again, he is startled to see Severus staring at him. “Hullo, Professor,” Harry murmurs, wondering how the man had entered the room so quietly.

“Hello, Mr. Potter,” Severus says. “As I’m sure you remember, I wished to speak with you this morning,” he reminds Harry with a raised eyebrow.

“I know, sir,” Harry says walking towards him. “I was just calming my nerves; it’s hard getting used to a new environment.”

“Indeed,” he says in that silky drawl. “Let’s go to my office.” Harry nods and follows his professor out. Harry shuffles behind the man and glances around the Slytherin dungeons. There aren’t many portraits, but there are a few scattered every so often – something Harry hadn’t noticed in his previous timeline. He frowns minutely.

What if… what if it wasn’t that he just hadn’t noticed any, but, actually, that there weren’t any?

He glances up at Severus. “Professor?” he asks quietly. Severus glances back at him. “When were these portraits put up? I don’t recall seeing them yesterday night.”

Severus looks slightly surprised. “You are rather observant,” Severus says simply as they pass a portrait eyeing them curiously. “Our esteemed Headmaster thought it was a brilliant idea to give the students of the dungeon something other than ‘dreary walls’ to look at, as he put it…” he sneers.

It took all of Harry’s self-control not to gape at that statement. The old codger was spying on them! On him! He had some nerve!

Neither one of them spoke again until they were inside Severus’ office. “Sit, please,” he says, pointing to the uncomfortable looking chair in front of his desk. Harry sits and watches Severus sit down in the chair behind the desk. “Now, I’m sure you’re wondering why I called you here.”

Harry nods, thinking about how he obliviated his professor. Making sure not to look Severus in the eyes, he says, “I didn’t do anything wrong, did I, sir?”

“No, nothing wrong,” Severus says, leaning back. “But I am curious as to what you and the Bloody Baron were speaking about yesterday.”

Harry stops breathing for a moment, mentally cursing his stupidity. He should have done that in a less public place! “We were speaking about repentance, sir,” Harry says like it was obvious.

“Now why would you be speaking about that?” Severus says, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, I took a guess that he was repenting something, sir. He has on chains! I read a book in my primary school library about how, way back in history, people put themselves in chains before killing themselves to repent for any dastardly crimes of their life in the afterlife. The book said it was only way to truly repent crimes,” he lies smoothly. He clearly remembers what the Grey Lady had told him.

Severus hums. “I was told you mentioned specifically 1000 years, any reason why?”

“The book said it went out of style several hundred years ago, so I figured the ghost had to have been doing it for about a thousand years. I took a shot,” Harry says, hoping Severus would believe him.

“You seem to have a knack for guessing correctly, should the baron’s reply be taken at face value,” Severus says silkily. Harry just blinks. “Is there something you are not telling me?”

“No, sir,” lies Harry, mentally cringing. He hates lying to the man.

“If you’re sure,” Severus says with a sigh. “On to more pressing matters, how are you being treated by your fellow Slytherins?”

Harry blinks. “Fine, sir. They seem very cordial.” Severus cares enough about him to ask how the snakes were treating him? Harry felt very touched at that thought.

Nodding curtly, Severus tries to catches Harry’s eyes. When unable, he continues speaking. “I had not mentioned this last night, but I must stress that I am both Head of Slytherin and the Potions Professor, I expect all my Slytherins to do more than adequate work in my class.” Harry nods quickly. “As such, I request that you spend some time reading your potions book should you not have done so already.”

“I read the book twice already, but I’ll make sure to go through the first few chapters once more before class,” Harry says with a nod.

Severus nods, inwardly delighted at the boy's drive to learn potions. He then gives Harry a sharp look. “You remember what Lucius told you before you left his house, right?”

Harry nods. “Never look Dumbledore in the eyes and never eat or drink anything he gives me.” He wasn’t planning on being in the man’s presence at all, but he knew the man would eventually try and pull some strings.

“Good,” Severus says. It wouldn’t do if that old coot found out about Harry living at Lucius’ too soon. “Also, it would be best to keep your private conversations away from portraits. They seem to have ears that tend to wander up to Dumbledore.”

Harry already knew that but nodded anyway. “If that is all, sir, may I please go to breakfast? I’m a bit peckish…”

Severus glances at the clock. “Yes, we best be going now. Head back to the common room. Draco should be down in a few minutes.” He stands and picks up a stack of papers that Harry figures are the timetables. “Wait, Harry!” Severus says, suddenly remembering something. “You remember when it was mentioned during summer that Dumbledore thinks I hate you?”

Harry nods. “What about it?”

“Well, Dumbledore expects me to be rather cruel to you. So, I apologize beforehand for any unwanted behavior towards you I may have. I will not mean any of it.” Severus’ heart is pounding, but he would never admit that. He’s terrified that Harry wouldn’t understand this and start hating him. For some reason, he really didn’t want that to happen.

Harry pauses and mentally sighs. He knew this would happen. “That’s alright, sir,” he murmurs quietly. “I understand.” With that, he turns around and heads to the door. Harry holds open for his professor to walk out.

A portrait eyes them curiously as Snape sneers at Harry when leaving.

Harry heads back to the common room to wait for Draco. He only has to wait around for a couple of minutes before Draco comes down with his two bodyguards and Blaise. Draco was complaining about the first year broom ban. He stops when he finally notices Harry. “There you are! Is your meeting with Uncle Sev done with?”

Nodding, Harry turns around for them to leave. “We start classes today, right?” Draco confirms, coming up to walk right next to Harry.

“I believe so,” Harry says. “I can’t see why not.”

Draco nods with a grin. “I hope we get to have Potions a lot!”

“I hope so too,” Harry says with a soft smile.

“Of course you do,” Draco smirks.

Blaise raises an eyebrow curiously.

“Shut up,” Harry hisses. He didn’t want Blaise to find out about his feelings for Severus. “Anyway,” he says a bit forcefully, “who do you think we will share our classes with?”

“I’m not sure,” Draco replies thoughtfully. “But I do know we will probably have Potions with the Gryffindors. Uncle Sev tells me that’s how it’s been since before he started attending Hogwarts.”

Harry mentally sighs. Dumbledore was just asking for trouble! He’s been putting Gryffindors and Slytherins together in the most dangerous class probably since he started as Headmaster. It wasn’t long until the little group reaches the Great Hall.

“Wow! We got here really quickly!” Draco says happily. Harry tenses slightly, but doesn’t say anything. He has got to stop letting his mind wander or else he’d give himself away soon!

“Yeah, I guess we got lucky.”

“Yeah,” Blaise says suspiciously. He had been following Potter; how had the boy known where to go? They wander over to the Slytherin table and sit down. The food was already there for them to dig into.

Nearing the end of breakfast, Severus walks the length of the table, handing out the timetables to his students, making sure that the older ones know they have a chance to change this week should they wish to switch their classes.

Just before Severus reaches them, Harry glances up at the Head Table to see Dumbledore staring intently at them. Harry’s shoulders slump slightly. He hates that Severus has to be mean to him, regardless of his House.

He hands out the first year schedules to the five students sitting together. He sneers down at Harry, “Potter,” he grumbles.

“Good morning, Professor,” Harry says, keeping his head down. When Severus moves down the table, Harry glances discreetly back up at Dumbledore. He looks extremely pleased and Harry inwardly sneers.

“What was that about?” Draco whispers harshly. “Father will hear about it if Uncle Sev is being cruel to you!”

“Shut up, Draco!” Harry hisses. He winces at the shocked, worried, and hurt look on Draco’s face. He sighs. “I’ll explain it in a less public place, okay? It’s nothing to worry about.” Draco nods slowly, still looking worried. Harry mentally sighs this time. “I’m sorry I snapped at you, Draco. Can you forgive me?”

Trying not to seem too eager, Draco pauses and lifts his nose up. He sniffs and drawls, “I guess I can forgive you.”

Blaise was staring at them incredulously. What was that about? He shakes his head and decides not to think about it just yet. He was a Slytherin, so he would remember this information, but not use it until such a time where it would benefit him the most.

He looks at the schedule Professor Snape had given him. He looks to Monday.

7:30-9 Breakfast

9:05-9:55 History of Magic with the Ravenclaws

11:35-12:25 Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Hufflepuffs

12:30-1:30 Lunch

2:05-2:55 Herbology with the Ravenclaws

4:30-6 Supper

He looks over the rest of the schedule and notices they only have Potions Friday morning with the Gryffindors. Every other week, it was about an hour and a half instead of an hour. He looks up to see Draco’s and Harry’s shoulders were slumped. He sighs. Great, now he has to deal with two unhappy friends through what he heard is the most boring class at Hogwarts.

“Hey, it’ll be okay,” Blaise says tentatively.

“Yeah, I guess,” Harry says miserably. He sighs and shakes his head. “Whatever, at least we don’t have to deal with the Gryffindors today. And our classes can’t be _that_ hard.”

“Yeah,” Draco grumbles, picking at his food.

Blaise slowly shakes his head with a quiet sigh. At least Potter was better at hiding his emotions. He half-hearted glances up when several loud screeches mark the beginning of the mail delivery. Owls were swooping down all around him, but he just plates some food and begins to eat. He pauses as the Daily Prophet is dropped down next to him. He glances at the cover and nearly drops his fork.

What in the world?

“Potter,” he says softly, picking up the paper.

“What?” Harry asks, looking up from his meal.

Blaise doesn’t say anything and shoves the paper in front of the boy. Harry picks it up with a small frown.

**_Boy-Who-Lived Has Gone Dark?_ **

_Written By: Rita Skeeter_

_My dear readers, it is with a heavy heart that I must report to you some frightening news. As most of you may know, yesterday was the first day of the new school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Not many of you may know this though: Harry Potter, our coveted Boy-Who-Lived, was among the throngs of bright, eager first years arriving at Hogwarts late last night. It is common knowledge that our beloved Boy-Who-Lived’s parents were both proud Gryffindors, so their son could only go there. It appears this is wrong! Our beloved savior has been sorted into Slytherin House last night!_

_It was certainly a shock when this reporter found out.  With Harry Potter being sorted into Slytherin and no one seeing him for all these years makes one wonder if the boy wonder has decided to follow in the footsteps of the one he defeated. With the multitude of dark students in Slytherin House, the Boy-Who-Lived has an easily accessible supply of Dark knowledge. One only wonders how long it will be before he starts killing. Which unlucky student will be his first victim?_

Slightly disgusted, Harry didn’t want to read anymore. He puts the paper down and closed his eyes to calm himself. How had she gotten that information so quickly? She couldn’t possibly have been at Hogwarts during the sorting, so had someone tipped her off?

“What the hell?” Draco nearly shouts angrily.

Harry eyes him. “Yeah, it’s a bloody stupid article.”

“Well, yeah it is,” Draco says, glaring at the paper. “But that wasn’t what I was talking about.” Blaise and Harry look up at him curiously. “Read the last two sentences,” he says, dropping the paper and glaring at the Gryffindor table.

Harry slowly turns back to the article with a feeling of dread.

_We at the Prophet will like to kindly thank our main contributor, Ronald Billius Weasley, for the information. He has been properly compensated with 30 galleons._

Harry slowly closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to calm down. How could Ron do this? They had been friends in one time line. He opens his eyes and mentally shakes his head. This wasn’t of too much consequence; he just wished that the public wouldn’t find out for at least a week. He distractedly notes that Dumbledore gets up and leaves.

“That foul weasel!” Draco grumbles.

Blaise snorts. “He obviously doesn’t know anything to think that thirty galleons is a lot of money. With this kind of information, any self-respecting news company would pay at least triple that.”

Harry drily chuckles. “Yeah, but apparently he doesn’t know how to negotiate.” He glumly continues his meal.

Draco stares at him, concerned. “Are you okay? This couldn’t possibly upset you so much…”

Harry glances at him. He smiles sardonically. “I just wished that I would have at least a week to get used to the school before I started getting howlers.”

Blaise winces. “You don’t think people would actually do that, would you?”

Harry shrugs. “I don’t know. I just have this feeling.”

“I’m no longer hungry. Let’s get to History of Magic. You can go talk to Hermione if you want,” Draco says. He looks at Crabbe and Goyle. “You two can stay here as long as you’re not late to class. It’s unbecoming of a Slytherin!”

He gets identical grunts in return between massive bites.

Harry snorts quietly and Blaise shakes his head. “Let’s head out, then.”

The three boys head out of the hall. As they wander through the school, Harry makes sure he’s not the one in the lead. He pointedly ignores the whispers and staring of the few stragglers on their way to breakfast.

A girl even burst into tears as he walked by, wailing about how he _just couldn’t_ be a Slytherin!

“Am I going to have to deal with that all my school life?” Harry harshly whispers to Draco. “Cause if I am, I might as well transfer to Durmstrang!” He knew he wouldn’t, no matter how bad things got at Hogwarts. There were too many reasons he had to stay that overpowered any discomfort.

Draco warily eyes Harry. “If you’re doing that, I’m going with you.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Harry sniffs, jokingly portraying Draco.

Draco playfully shoves him. “I don’t sound like that!”

“Sure you don’t,” Blaise says sarcastically.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Shh!” Harry whispers sharply. He quickly glances around the hall. He is immensely glad they had somehow wandered into a part of the castle that didn’t have any portraits. He could only figure that the ones in the dungeon must have been moved from here. He leans against the wall and motions for the other two to follow.

“What are we doing?” whispers Draco.

“Listening,” Harry says, taking a glance around the corner. He was right. Ron and Dumbledore were talking in hushed voices. They were standing not too far around the corner so the trio needed to stay really quiet.

“Listening to whom?” asks Draco, exasperated.

“If you listened, maybe you’d find that out,” Blaise says, putting a hand over Draco’s mouth.

They stay quiet and Ron’s angry voice floats up to them. “I don’t see why I should still try and make friends with him! He’s probably already killed someone! He’s probably already gone Dark!”

Dumbledore sighs. “You have already failed at your first job, Mr. Weasley. You don’t want to make me any angrier.”

“It’s not _my_ fault that bastard knew how to get through the platform! I thought you said he was way more stupider than me!” They hear Ron growl. “And then he sat with Malfoy and his cronies on the train. They got there before me! How can I be responsible for that?”

“While yes, that did indeed happen; I know I cannot fault you for that, Mr. Weasley.  What I was talking about was you still not befriending him regardless,” chastises Dumbledore. “And on top of that, you went and gave sensitive information to the press!”

“Oh come on! No one will know I did it!”

“You were accredited at the bottom of the article! Anyone, including Potter, could read it!”

“I doubt someone as stupid as Potter could even read,” Ron spits.

“I still expect you to be friends with him or else you won’t be getting any money!”

They hear Dumbledore walk away before hearing Ron stomping after him.

Harry turns to his two friends to see them staring wide-eyed at him. Blaise uncovers Draco’s mouth. “I can’t believe them!” the blond immediately began ranting. “Everything that idiot said on the train has to have been true! He’s going to get paid to be your friend! I won’t let him!”

“I know you won’t, Draco,” Harry says before Draco could say something he’d regret. “But we’ll discuss this later. We need to get to class.”

“Oh crap,” Blaise curses, grabbing both Draco’s and Harry’s arms and pulling them down the corridor.

Five minutes of searching later, they find themselves outside the History classroom. “We’re here!” Draco says in relief.

“And still early by a few minutes,” Harry adds happily.

They walk inside and look around. The class seems to have been loosely divided into two sides: Slytherin and Ravenclaw. But the sides weren’t definite. In the middle of the room, the two Houses mesh together a bit. “Let’s sit in the middle,” Harry says, walking up and sitting behind Hermione. “Hey!”

Hermione looks up from the book she was reading and turns around. “Oh! Harry!” she winces. “I can’t believe the paper wrote an article like that! News is supposed to be unbiased!”

Harry chuckles as Draco sits next to him and Blaise in front, next to Hermione. “I’ll be fine, Hermione. And maybe the news is different here than in the muggle world.”

“Maybe,” she whispers, not quite convinced.

She quickly turns back around when several students gasp. Their professor has just phased through the wall. “Welcome to History of Magic. I am Professor Binns,” he says in a dull, slow voice.

“Please don’t tell me he’s going to lecture with that voice,” Blaise pleads. “I don’t think I will be able to stay awake!”

“Me neither,” Harry grumbles, remembering all the times he _had_ fallen asleep in this class.

The lesson was extremely boring, and it wasn’t simply because Harry had heard it before. Hermione had hurriedly taken notes while Blaise took a nap and Draco traded off doing both. Harry took the time to plan what he was going to do about Quirrell and the stone.

He wonders what would have happened if Voldemort had gotten the stone in the first place. What would he have done? And could it have actually helped him? Harry shakes his head. He didn’t know what he’d do with the stone, but he knew that he couldn’t let Voldemort get it. Quirrell had to die somehow.

Harry chews his lip. What to do, indeed. He could just let things play out as close to the previous events as possible. He decides that, in order to discredit Dumbledore as much as possible, he should have a few encounters with death. He just has to do it in a way to still have Voldemort trust him somehow. _That_ was certainly going to be difficult.

He is thrown from his thoughts when the bell rings and the students begin moving.

“Goodbye Harry! Bye Draco!” Hermione says quickly as she ran out of the room to her next class. Neither boy had the chance to reply before she was out the door.

“What do we have next?” Draco asks him with a yawn.

“A small break and then Defense with the Hufflepuffs.”

“Great,” murmurs Draco belatedly.

“You were looking forward to this class,” Blaise reminds him. “It shouldn’t be too bad, even if we do share it with the ‘puffs.”

“I _was_ looking forward to it until Father said the teacher was bullocks.”

Blaise slumps as they walked. “Great,” he mumbles. “So, our first two classes each week are jokes?”

“It seems so,” Harry murmurs, equally annoyed. Draco just grunts in annoyance.

“What do you want to do now?” Harry asks as they stopped walking.

“I want to check out the Quidditch Pitch!” Draco states excitedly.

“Wouldn’t that just depress you even more?” Blaise asks in exasperation. Draco was already annoying about that broom regulation.

“I _will_ find a way for that damned ban to get waved for me! Slytherin needs to win the Quidditch Cup for all the years we’re here!” Draco promises hotly.

“What position would you play?” Blaise asks as they begin trying to find their way to the Entrance Hall.

Draco glances at Harry. “Well… I want to be Seeker, but if Harry has even half the skill his father did, I’d probably go for Chaser. But you’d have to play, Harry!”

Harry blinks. He didn’t know what to think about that. He loves Quidditch, but he didn’t know if he’d have enough time to play it all through his years at Hogwarts. There was so much planning he was doing! “I’ll think about it,” Harry promises. “Who knows? Maybe I’m pants on a broom.”

Draco snorts. “I highly doubt that.”

They spent just under the next hour and a half on the Quidditch Pitch, talking. About thirty minutes before they left, Hermione joined them as she was out of class and was going to do her homework during the Ravenclaw Study Session that was during the Slytherins Defense class.

Walking into the classroom, the three Slytherin’s eye their Defense Professor critically. The man was sitting behind his desk, writing on some sort of paper. He briefly looked up at them, and his eyes caught Harry’s for a moment. The boy held in a wince and looked away.

Realizing he was going to have to do something about his troublesome scar fairly quickly, Harry sits down. Today definitely wasn’t going his way.

He momentarily forgets his self pity when Neville walks in. “Hey, Neville,” Harry says, waving at him.

“Hi, Harry, Draco,” Neville says, nervously eyeing Blaise. “Can I sit with you guys?”

Draco looks as though he might refuse, but a glance at Harry has him saying, “Yeah, sure.”

“How has your day been, Neville?” Harry asks, truly interested. He wonders who within his house that Neville would befriend. He hadn’t been friends with any ‘Puffs in the previous life that Harry knew of.

“Great!” he says excitedly, “The Hufflepuffs are really nice and, in the common room, there are _so_ _many_ books on Herbology! A prefect practically ripped the book from my hands before telling me to go to bed last night.” He says that last part a little sheepishly.

The three Slytherins laugh good-naturedly. “I’m guessing you’re really looking forward to Herbology, huh?” Harry smirks. “I’m sure you’ll do brilliantly.”

“Thanks, Harry,” Neville says and sits down. Just as the last Hufflepuff trailed inside, Professor Quirrell started his lesson. 

* * *

 

Everyone rushes out of Defense as quickly as they could. Once in the hallway, Draco groans to Harry, “He stuttered through the _entire_ lesson!”

“I know,” Harry murmurs in sympathy.

“Maybe he’s just really nervous? It _is_ his first day, too, you know,” Neville reminds them.

Blaise grumbles, “He still shouldn’t have been _that_ nervous. He stuttered over practically every word! I think it’s just something we’re going to have to deal with.”

“Great,” Draco murmurs.

“Anyway, how about we go get some lunch?” Harry asks, easily distracting his friends.

As they walk to the Great Hall, Harry wonders about Voldemort worriedly. He already knows Occlumency well enough to block Severus and Dumbledore, but could he keep Voldemort out? Surely he could, the man was extremely weak right now. He couldn’t have the half-insane man figure out his plans too soon.

Thinking about his current powers, Harry remembers his Untraceable magic. He felt like hitting himself. How could he have forgotten about it? He only used it once. Maybe he will practice it later that night in their dorm and see how much magic he could actually do. 

* * *

 

Several hours later, the Slytherins and Hermione were walking away from the Greenhouses back up to the school. “Ooh, are you going to start on your homework now? I already started on History of Magic’s this morning, but I haven’t finished it yet.”

“Hermione,” Harry slightly whines, “can we at least have ten minutes of break before working some more?”

Hermione chews her lip slightly. “Maybe a short break wouldn’t hurt. But we still have to head towards the library. We can take our break there.”

“Fine,” Blaise mutters grudgingly. “It would probably be best if we get our homework out of the way early.” He still couldn’t really believe he was hanging out with a Muggleborn, but after sitting next to her all through History of Magic and Herbology, he realizes she’s not _that_ insufferable.

They follow Hermione to the library, as she is the only one to already know where it is. They were nearly there when Harry feels his scar flare up again. Quirrell was nearby.

The stuttering man was walking down the hallway. His movements are jerky and he keeps stealing glances at Harry. His steps falter, and Harry sees the man’s lips form the words, “I can’t, Master.”

What on earth could Voldemort want Quirrell to do? Harry casts his eyes elsewhere as the group of first years pass by the teacher. Harry is barely able to conceal a wince this time. He could practically feel Voldemort’s piercing stare through that turban. The pain was nearly unbearable.

He clenches his jaw to not make a sound, and his pain muddled mind almost misses Draco’s sneer, “Why must he carry that blasted garlic around with him everywhere? He’s stinking up the castle!”

Hermione frowns. “Well, garlic is supposed to drive away vampires, and didn’t he say he came across an angry one when he was in his travels? Perhaps he’s just scared it’ll come find him.” She glances over at Draco when he mutters. She blinks and frowns. “Harry,” she says cautiously. “Are you okay? Your face looks a bit strained…”

Harry’s eyes snap to her. “I’m fine,” he says, a little tightly.

Why hasn’t the pain gone away? Quirrell left, right? He mentally frowns before glancing behind them. He almost curses. The bastard was following them! Voldemort was obviously suspicious about something, and Harry couldn’t have him knowing anything yet! He was too insane.

Yes, he’d definitely be looking for something to strengthen his Occlumency barriers and get rid of his damned pain. He puts on a grin to appease his friends as they finish their trek to the library. He knows his grin had obviously failed if the looks he was getting were anything to go by.

They find a table and get to their homework. Harry can see Quirrell perusing the shelves nearby. Harry sighs and attempts to focus on the book of the goblin wars in front of him.

Stupid homework. Stupid Horcrux. Stupid scar. Stupid Voldemort and his stupid suspicions.


	6. Slytherins Protect Their Own

It was finally Friday and Harry is barely able to keep himself from bouncing in his seat at breakfast. “Okay, what’s gotten into you so that you’re nearly bouncing about like a bloody Gryffindor?” Montague snaps at Harry.

Harry freezes and looks back at him. What could he say? What sounds Slytherin? “We have our first potions class today,” Harry says flippantly. “And, should the rumors I’ve heard be true, I’m looking forward to seeing the Gryffindors being put in their place.”

Montague nods sharply and returns to his breakfast.

Draco snickers. “I hope Weasley does something stupid!”

“Yeah,” Harry agrees, taking a bite of his toast. The previous night, all the first year Slytherins had gathered in the common room and prepared for Potions. They made sure that, whomever Severus called on, the right answer would always be given. Sure, Crabbe and Goyle had struggled a bit, but they eventually understood enough.

“And aren’t we lucky?” Blaise says, pushing his now empty plate away. “We only have classes until lunch. What are we going to do this afternoon?”

Harry chuckles slightly. “If we come across Hermione, you know we’ll be wrangled into doing our homework.”

Draco groans. “I don’t want to do homework! We have the whole weekend!”

“Yeah, I know, but if we do it then, we will have Saturday and Sunday to ourselves,” Blaise reasons.

Draco grumbles something that sounds like, “That does sound better.”

Harry laughs. He stops abruptly when the owls began fluttering in. He tenses and hopes that no more howlers were coming.

Tuesday had been the absolute worst! There had to have been hundreds of howlers and letters combined! At the sight of the first red envelope Harry had begun to panic. Gemma Farley, who had taken it upon herself to sit with the first years to see if any of them needed a bit of help finding their classes, looks to see what was causing one of her firstie’s such distress.

“What in the world?” she had whispered before summoning it from the air and throwing it to the floor before casting incendio at it.

“Oh Merlin!” Draco whispers in horror.

Gemma, after making sure the letter was sufficiently ash, looks back up again and pales at the sight of dozens more howlers coming through, all heading straight for Potter. She turns to the few upper years sitting near her, “Target practice?” she asks slyly.

“Sure,” one of them chuckles evilly. “Doesn’t matter if we hit the birds, right? It’ll be a nice warning to their owners, yeah?”

“Of course, Yatin,” Gemma says, standing up. “Slytherins stick together and protect our own, especially from the very fickle public.”

Nearly every Slytherin, third year and up, stood and started shooting at the howlers. Harry’s jaw had almost dropped at the sight. None of the Gryffindors had ever helped him in his previous life when the public turned their back on him and made their anger known through mail.

“I have to learn that spell now,” Draco said, looking like he really wanted to help.

“Well, do you know how to sweep a letter for harmful things?” Harry asked. There was an ever growing pile of regular mail on his plate. Thankfully, he had already eaten his fill. “Because if you do, you can help me sort this pile,” he gestured in front of him. He had the attention of all the first and second years. “I’ll go through it later. I just need the dangerous stuff burned.”

“Got it! Every pureblood learns how to sweep a letter,” Draco had said, getting to work. The scarce halfbloods in first and second year were quickly taught the spell and were helping Harry. They threw the dangerous letters into a pile that one of the prefects burned when they were done.

In the end, Harry only had six letters he needed to read. He easily slipped them into his pack for later. He profusely thanked everyone at the table for helping him, but no one accepted it. “We protect our own,” Gemma said simply. The others nodded, agreeing with her.

Before leaving the hall, Harry had looked about and was pleasantly surprised to see the shock and slight awe at how the Slytherins had easily handled that plastered on the faces of most of the students. That day, Slytherin House left the Great Hall as one.

Harry smiles slightly as he remembers the end of that morning. It had been terrifying at first, but things worked out in the end. That pattern continued one Wednesday and Thursday, although on a much smaller scale. Fewer letters were being sent each day.

Harry searches the owls and thankfully, there weren’t any howlers that day. “Is it finally over?” Blaise asks, eyeing the owls warily.

“Darn, I was hoping for some more target practice,” Yatin Bhagat mutters into his breakfast.

Draco snorts before turning to Harry. “I forgot to ask; you got only about a dozen letters that weren’t cursed or poisoned or howlers, right? What did they say?”

A few of the other Slytherins were looking curiously at him, too.

“Well,” Harry says, taking some bacon. “They all pretty much said the same thing. They supported me and didn’t think I was Dark. They said the Prophet was stupid for even thinking something like that.” He pauses and snickers. “They also said they’d like to give that Ronald Weasley a piece of their mind for sharing sensitive information.”

The Slytherins snicker. “How _will_ you be getting revenge on him?” Montague asks.

Harry smirks. “The only hint I’m giving you is that I’m doing it in potions.” Draco looks over at Harry curiously. He hadn’t been notified of any plans for retribution against Weasley. Harry looks over at Draco’s slightly hurt face. “That reminds me, we need to go so I can fill you in.”

Relieved, Draco smirks and whispers, “You just want to get to the potions classroom as early as socially acceptable.”

Harry gives Draco a sharp look. He warily glances at Blaise who was peering at them with a calculating look on his face. Harry nearly groans. Couldn’t Draco be a _little_ more subtle?

“Let’s go,” Harry says forcefully, while grabbing Draco by the arm and pulling him up.

“Hey! I haven’t finished eating yet!”

“Fine, you just won’t be included in my revenge.”

“What? No, Harry! Please don’t do this to me!”

“You can take food with you, you know that, right?”

Draco falls silent before speedily putting some eggs and breakfast meat between two pieces of toast which he wrapped in a napkin. “See you later, Blaise!” he calls over his shoulder, rushing after Harry.

Blaise shakes his head before his eyes trail up to the Head Table. More specifically, the Potions Master. From what he could gather, both Harry and Draco knew the man before coming to Hogwarts. It’s rather interesting. He decides to keep stewing on his theories before questioning anyone.

He has more important things to do. His eyes trail to where Neville was getting up from the Hufflepuff table, saying goodbye to his friends. Yes, he has a little Hufflepuff to bother. He stands and stalks out of the Great Hall after Neville. He still has some time before class. He might as well get to know this fourth member of Harry’s group.

“Hey, Neville!” he calls somewhat quietly, but well within hearing distance. “I’ve got some questions for you.”

* * *

 Harry slinks through the halls with Draco hot on his tails. “Why are you going so fast?” Draco whines between breaths. “Severus isn’t even there yet! He was still in the Great Hall!”

“I know, and I also know he will get a _little_ mad at me for this, but I have to make sure Weasley is properly punished.”

“What do you mean? What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to switch some ingredients about so that the Gryffindors’ potions explode.”

Draco stops. Harry pauses and looks at the other boy. Draco was staring at him with something akin to horror. “You’re planning on messing with Uncle Severus’ supply closet?” he asks in a whisper, his face very pale. “Do you have a death wish!?”

“I know he will get mad at me, but I’ll replace all the ruined ingredients.”

“That’s not the problem! It won’t be just the Gryffindors who have their potions explode!”

“I told you! I have a plan,” Harry says decisively and walks into the potions classroom. “When Severus does get here, you have to get him to let the Slytherins go in and get their ingredients separately from the Gryffindors. Once in there, you will proclaim someone had messed with the ingredients and point us in the right direction.”

Draco chews his lip. “I don’t know…”

“Come on, Draco. It’ll be hilarious!” He was thinking about having Ron get soaked with mucked up potions and having to be sent to the Hospital Wing.

“Yeah, but potions are very dangerous… If we switch out the wrong ingredient, someone could very well _die_.” Draco looks decidedly uncomfortable.

“I know that,” Harry says softly. “I wouldn’t _truly_ endanger anyone. I’ve spent a bit of time going through potions books and finding a recipe that would result in the perfect prank. Just a second, please.” He takes a deep breath and sneaks into the supply closet. He quickly switches the labels on two ingredients.

He slips back out and sits down in the front row. Draco moves and sits next to him. “So, what exactly did you do?”

“Well, we’re brewing the cure for boils, right?” Draco nods. “Well, apparently, the potion that is the _cause_ of boils is very similar to the cure. The only difference is in the ending. So, once the cause of boils has been properly brewed, the next thing would be to turn down the fire and add porcupine quills. Well, without those quills, you’ve got the cause of boils, right?” Draco nods again. “And the quills neutralize it, but if you add something like, Moly stems, you’ve got something explosive.”

Draco’s eyes widen. “Of course,” he whispers. “Moly definitely doesn’t work well with an ingredient like snake fangs! And, as long as it only gets on the Gryffs, it’s harmless. You’re a genius!”

Harry grins. “I take revenge seriously.” He always had.

Before Harry can say anymore, the door opens and Severus walks inside. The man stops and blinks at them. “What are you two doing here so early?” he asks with a frown.

“Breakfast was boring today. Harry didn’t get any more howlers.”

Harry scowls at Draco. “We didn’t have anything better to do; I hope we aren’t a bother, Professor,” he murmurs, not meeting Severus’ eyes.

Severus raises an eyebrow before silkily saying, “No bother, as long as you weren’t up to something.”

“We’re Slytherins, of course we’re not up to anything,” Harry says slyly.

Draco, catching on, says, “We’re perfect angels.”

Severus snorts. “Sure you are,” he mutters and stalks to his desk. “I’ll be leaving shortly to give my students my usually entrance. And I do hope you have properly prepared for this class.”

Both boys nod before Harry lightly shoves Draco. Draco glares at him before saying, “Uncle Sev, I was wondering, how many people go into that supply cupboard at once? It looks awful cramped.”

Severus sneers. “The bloody idiots all charge for it simultaneously.”

Draco looks horrified and Harry mentally applauds his acting. “How… barbaric! How about you have each House go in separately? I’m sure everyone would benefit from that,” he says sweetly.

Severus eyes him and then looks over at Harry, who was staring back indifferently. He then looks over at his supply closet. “What have you two done?”

“Nothing, sir,” both of them say, a little too quickly.

Severus narrows his eyes at them and stands. He opens his mouth to say something when talking could be heard through the open door. He gives them a sharp look. “You had better know what you’re doing,” he threatens before slipping into the shadows.

The rest of the Slytherin first years slink into the classroom and sit on the side Harry and Draco were on. Blaise sits at the table right behind them. “Hey, guys. Everything alright?” he asks. Harry knows it is his way of asking if the plan was in place.

“Of course,” says Harry snootily. “What did you expect?”

Just then, the seven Gryffindors sulk into the classroom. Ron is among the first and looks hastily around the classroom. When his eyes land on Harry, he speedily walks over. “Hey, Harry,” he says in a friendly manner. “What to sit with me in the back?”

The Slytherins blink. Why was this boy speaking to Harry in such a friendly manner? Harry eyes him coldly. He ignores the pang in his gut as the Gringotts statements from his previous life flash through his mind. “It’s Potter to you.”

“Oh, come off it, Harry! Come on, then; let’s get seated before _Snape_ gets here.”

 “I am perfectly seated in a position I find most favorable.” Harry leans back in his chair and glares at Ron. “And cease speaking to me so familiarly! I am no friend of yours,” he sneers.

“Of course we’re friends, Harry! Don’t be silly! Now, come on! Let’s go.” He grabs Harry’s arm and tries to pull him up.

Harry’s eyes narrow, but they then flick to the left. Severus steps out of the shadows and magically slams the door shut. “What are you doing, Weasley?” he silkily asks in a quiet voice.

Ron starts and stares warily at Snape. “I was just helping my friend Harry up so we can sit in the back together, Professor.”

“We are not friends,” Harry hisses, yanking his arm out of Ron’s grip.

“Yes we are!” shouts Ron, getting red in the face.

“Ten points from Gryffindor! You do not shout at a fellow student,” Severus drawls.

Ron ignores him. “We met on the train and became friends! What have those slimy snakes done to you, Harry? I’ll take you to Dumbledore so he can right this!”

Severus and Draco stiffen, and Harry glares heatedly at Ron. “I will be doing no such thing! And your memory of the train ride here seems to be vastly different from mine,” he drawls in a dangerous voice. “From what I can recall, I was sitting with Draco and became friends with Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom when they later entered the compartment I was in.”

“We met on the train!” Ron interrupts him insistently.

“Oh, I was getting to our… _meeting_ ,” Harry says silkily.

Ron pales and glances around the classroom. “Whatever,” he says quickly. “You’ve changed, Harry.”

“How can I change when you never knew me? You didn’t even recognize me when you slammed the door open the compartment door – quite rude of you, I might add – and yelled about where the great Harry Potter was because Dumbledore promised he would be your little friend. You insulted me, my choice of friends, my father _and_ my mother. What was the term you used? Oh yes _mudblood_ , was it?”

Harry looks over at Severus, who was pale and his nostrils were flaring. He looks quite angry. “Weasley,” he says in a voice that promised death, “If I hear that you’ve used such a _foul_ word again, not only will you find yourself in detention for a month, you will find Gryffindor missing several hundred points and a letter having been sent home to your mother.”

“I never said that! He’s lying!” Ron lies jerkily. His face was puce with anger. “He’s just a slimy snake!”

“Sit down,” Severus commands, his eyes narrow. Ron glances evilly at Harry before rushing to comply. “And another ten points from Gryffindor for talking back to a teacher.” Ron groans as his housemates glare at him.

Severus walks up and takes role. He simply glides over Harry’s name without pause. Dumbledore would probably think the man was too angry and distracted if he ever got wind of this. Severus glares at Ron when he got to his name, though.

Once he was done, he steps in front of his desk and says, “You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don’t expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mine, ensnaring the sense… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death.”

Harry’s shoulders slump slightly and he fights the goofy grin that wanted to break out on his face. It was absolutely amazing hearing that passionate speech spilling deliciously off Severus’ tongue.

He snaps attentive when Draco pokes him. Harry glares at him when Draco gives him a _look_.

“If you aren’t as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach,” Severus continues. He pauses for a second before barking out, “Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”

“Draught of Living Death, sir, a sleeping potion so strong, the drinker appears to be dead,” Harry responds smoothly.

Severus scowls and turns to a new victim. His eyes land on Ron. “Weasley! Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?”

Ron looks around in horror, obviously not knowing the answer. He gives Harry a pleading look, but Harry just ignores him. Ron’s face reddens before he mutters, “I don’t know.”

“What was that?” Severus barks. “Speak up, boy!”

“I don’t know!” Ron nearly shouts.

Severus scoffs. “Five points from Gryffindor for not knowing the answer and disrespect.”

He turns to the Slytherin side. “Malfoy, can you answer the question?”

“A bezoar is found in the belly of a goat and is an antidote to most poisons,” Draco says, looking at Ron haughtily.

“Correct. Five points to Slytherin.”

Severus turns to Seamus, “Finnegan! What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?”

Seamus’ eyes were wide. “Um… t-their coloring?” he guesses. Severus looks angry. “I know they’re both plants, sir!” Seamus adds quickly.

Severus raises an eyebrow. “Now who told you that?” he asks silkily.

“I heard a couple of Hufflepuffs discussing them, sir. I didn’t hear what else they said about them,” Seamus says quickly, not wanting to get Gryffindor in more trouble. “I would have asked about them had I known they were used in potions.”

“He’d have asked if he knew Uncle Sev was going to ask about them, more likely,” Draco whispers to Harry. Harry nods.

Severus pauses. “Five points from Gryffindor for not knowing the answer.” He pauses again before adding, “But three points to Gryffindor for being aware of your surroundings.” He looks a bit pained at saying this, so he quickly turns to the Slytherins.  Seamus slumps in his seat in relief. He only lost two points. He could easily make that up in Defense later that day.

“Zabini, the answer?” asks Snape, already knowing the boy will know it.

“There is no difference. They, along with aconite, are all the same plant,” Zabini says in a bored voice.

Severus nods before looking at the rest of the class. “Why aren’t you all copying that down?” he sneers.

Everyone scrambles for their parchment to write down the quick notes.

After that, they are told to clear their stations and get out their cauldrons. “We are working on the cure for boils today.” Severus informs them. “The instructions are on the board and the ingredients are in the supply closet. Each House will go in separately because I’ve lately had a problem of overcrowding. Slytherins, since I know you won’t trash the place, go in and get your ingredients first.”

The Slytherins quickly stand up and enter the cupboard. The begin collecting their ingredients in a line, moving down. Draco was first, and pauses when he reaches the label that says, “Porcupine Quills.”

“That’s not right,” he whispers.

Blaise, who was next in line, blinks at him. “What’s not right?”

The rest of the Slytherins were listening now.

“Well, these aren’t porcupine quills. They’re Moly stems,” Draco explains. He looks around. “There’re the porcupine quills.” He reads the label. “Someone switched the labels.”

“Should we switch them back?” Goyle asks.

Draco shakes his head. “If we tamper with them, Severus won’t be able to catch the culprit. We’ll just tell him after class.”

“But what about the Gryffs? They won’t know what the ingredients are supposed to look like.” asks Millicent before she blinks. She casts a glance at Harry. “Never mind,” she says, “they’re not important.”

The Slytherins collect the correct ingredients before leaving the small room. They hurry about beginning their potions as the Gryffindors scramble into the supply closet. Harry smirks and turns on the fire under his cauldron.

He glances up and catches Severus’ eyes for a brief second before he hastily looks down, trying to squash the blush that threatened to bloom on his face.

Nearing the end of class, when most potions were well past half-way done, Severus has finally made his way to Draco and Harry’s stations. He pauses by Harry and whispers, “I don’t know what you’ve planned, but that smirk looked absolutely sinister. I hope you know there is nothing I can do if anyone is seriously injured.”

“At most, only the rest of the day in the Hospital Wing,” Harry whispers simply. “Besides, with the Slytherins’ potions, their stay should end fairly quickly.”

Severus raises an eyebrow before his eyes widen slightly in realization. He looks over at the Gryffindors just as they were all turning down their potions. They were all at the same stage. There wasn’t a perfect potion among the lot, but they would all sufficiently cover someone in boils without side effects.

But how would they get on the students. He looks to the table for the porcupine quills, but sees Moly stems. He turns and looks at Harry incredulously. The boy was simply brilliant. Well, technically, finding out about the similarities between the two potions is fairly easy, but applying it in order to sabotage someone’s potion is simply genius.

Severus continues stalking the classroom, making sure to stay on the Slytherin side of the classroom.

The first foolish Gryffindor to add the Moly stems was Weasley. Severus sneers slightly at the idiot boy. Mere seconds after the stems are fully submerged, the potions starts the bubble before erupting all over Weasley.

Thomas and Seamus laugh at Weasley’s misfortune before hastily turning to the board, reading what to do next.

Holding in a snicker, Severus glares at him. “Weasley!” he barks, taking a step forward. Brown was the next one to add the stems. Before her potion explodes, Patil adds her stems. One by the one, each Gryffindor adds their stems and, one by one, their potions explode.

The girls shriek and the boys groan. Finnegan looks like he might throw up. Weasley is the first to notice the boils growing on him. He screams in horror.

Knowing it is his time to play his part, Severus stalks to the front of the room, glaring at everyone. The Slytherins quickly finish up their potions. Most would get Outstandings, but Crabbe and Goyle would get Acceptables. “What has happened here?” he whispers, knowing everyone can hear him. The smarter Gryffindors shrink away. A few of the girls whimper.

Weasley is red in the face again. It was amazing how he could still tell that even though the boy was drenched in the potion. “One of those Slytherins messed with our cauldrons! I just know it!”

“Idiot,” Draco whispers. Harry can’t help but agree. He very nearly shakes his head. Ron, apparently, had forgotten his brother’s advice to be careful who he voices such thoughts to.

Severus stalks towards the boy in the back, “Would you like to repeat that.”

Ron, finally realizing to whom he had said that, pales. “No,” he grumbles, looking down.

“Detention, Weasley. You will come here after your last class. You have a lot of cleaning to do.”

Ron looks up defiantly. “I wasn’t the only one whose potion exploded!”

“Twenty points from Gryffindor!” Severus snarls. “Learn some respect, boy!” Severus glares around the classroom. “Now, whoever still has a useable potion, bottle it and put it on my desk with your name on a label. The rest of you: put away your things,” he growls.

The Gryffindors rush for the door, but before the first one can reach the door, Severus adds, “Anyone who destroyed a potion loses ten points from their House.” The Gryffindors groan while the Slytherins bottle up their potions. “Wait,” Severus suddenly said, glancing over the Slytherin cauldrons. He took out seven vials and filled them with Draco’s potion. He handed one to each Gryffindor. “Drink,” he commanded.

The Gryffindors drank and ran off once they realized their boils were disappearing.

Blaise, Draco, and Harry stay behind while everyone else leaves. Harry can see Crabbe and Goyle standing guard outside the classroom.

Harry moves to say something, but stops when he notices that Severus was writing something. Severus pauses and looks up at Harry with a raised eyebrow. “Yes?” he drawls silkily.

Harry stifles a blush and asks, “Where are the rest of your classes going to be?”

Draco pales and Blaise shakes his head. Severus snorts. “Hadn’t thought of that, had you?” Harry sheepishly shakes his head. “Well, there are two spare potions classrooms in case something like this occurs. I only ask that you fix what you changed in my supply room.”

Harry rushes and complies, switching the labels back. “Is there anything else I can do, Professor?”

Severus snorts again. “I believe you’ve done enough Potter. You got your revenge, humiliated Weasley, and made Gryffindor lose 117 points.”

“117?” Draco gapes. Blaise’s eyes were wide. He hadn’t thought _that_ many had been lost.

“That puts them in the negatives,” Harry states. Draco whoops.

Harry hadn’t truly realized exactly how many points Hermione had earned for Gryffindor until that moment. Or even him and Neville. Harry earned a lot in Defense while Neville easily got them from Herbology. With the three major point getters from their year out of Gryffindor, that House didn’t stand a chance at the House Cup.

“Yes, now I must go and put this note on my door to redirect my students to one of the other classrooms. Be gone now; don’t you have somewhere else to scheme?” Severus says, standing up.

“Maybe,” Harry says slyly, heading to the door. “Let’s go see if we can find Hermione and Neville,” he suggests as they walk out into the hallway.

“Sure,” Blaise says and Draco reluctantly agrees. “We only have half an hour though.”

“Hermione and Neville have potions next so if we meet on the first or second floor, it’ll be okay. They can get to potions and we can get to charms on time,” Harry says, already heading for the stairs.

Crabbe and Goyle lumber behind the trio as they head up in search of their other two friends. Hermione’s bushy mop is easily spotted as she makes her way to the stairs to the dungeons. Harry calls to her, “Hey, Hermione!”

She looks up and smiles. “Hi guys,” she says happily. “I have Potions next; where are you headed?”

“Charms,” Harry says.

Draco snickers. “You’ll be in a different Potions classroom than we were.”

Hermione frowns. “Why?”

“Every Gryffindor potion exploded.”

“What?” she demands, her eyes wide. “I-is it that hard?”

“Nah,” Harry reassures her. “The idiots just messed it up. I think it might’ve been a chain reaction or something. Like, some of the Weasley’s rubbish potion exploded and got into the one next to him, so that one explodes and so on.”

Hermione shakes her head. “Weasley’s exploded first?” The Slytherins nod. “Of course…”

“We should probably be going,” Blaise says, glancing at his watch. “We still have to get to the third floor.”

“Yeah,” Harry sighs, resigned. “Good luck in Potions, Hermione. I’m sure you’ll do brilliantly!” With that, he and his little group of friends and two bodyguards head up towards the stairs.

“Charms is going to be boring,” Draco nearly whines.

“How come?” Blaise asks, amused.

“Because we’re still going over that stupid floating spell! We all already know it!” he really does whine this time.

Harry snorts. “Not everyone is a pureblood with wards that let them use underage magic, Draco.”

“So? What does that have to do with the others’ stupidity?” Draco sulks.

Harry rolls his eyes. “I _meant_ , not everyone has even used any magic consciously before coming to Hogwarts. Teachers have to teach to the lowest common denominator or else they’d get sued.”

“I don’t care if some ratty old teacher gets sued!” squawks Draco indignantly.

“Even Snape?” Harry asks slyly.

Draco blinks before muttering, “Well, of course not him. He’s my godfather.” Harry smiles wryly, knowing that wasn’t the _whole_ reason. It was certainly most of it, but the rest of it was that Severus didn’t exactly have a lot of money. His Prince inheritance had been frozen when he was under suspicion of being a Death Eater after the previous war. No one bothered to unfreeze them. Teachers didn’t make much money and not many people wanted to buy potions from an ex-Death Eater, no matter how good the potion.

“It would be bad if any teacher gets sued,” Blaise drawls. “It’s not like they make much money.”

“What do you bet that Weasel tries to sue one of his teachers before he graduates?” Draco snickers.

“ _Weasley_ sue?” Blaise snorts. “Like he could afford a lawyer!”

“Imagine if someone sued Weasel?” Draco snickers. Harry blinks, taking on a thoughtful look. Suing Ron? Huh. That idea had merit… as long as it didn’t hurt the rest of the family. Molly and Ginny he couldn’t care less about, but the rest…

Harry didn’t want to put them into an even worse financial situation then they already were in. He ignores Draco and Blaise’s snickering as he begins to formulate a plan. He’d have to get in touch with a goblin and see what he could do. He didn’t know if libel was allowed in the Wizarding World, but Harry thought it shouldn’t be.

He nods to himself, already writing the letter in his head.

They were heading up the main staircase leading to the second floor when a shout grabs Harry’s attention. Harry looks to the top of the stairs and frowns at Ron, Seamus, and Dean standing there. He nearly blinks in shock upon realizing that is the entire first year group of Gryffindor boys. Such a small number…

“Potter,” Ron scowls. Seamus was smirking and Dean looks a bit unsure. He looks like he definitely didn’t want to be there.

Harry raises an eyebrow. “Yes?” he drawls.

Ron opens his mouth to make a nasty remark before he closes it with an audible click. His face turns a ruddy puce. “I can forgive you for not sitting with me during Potions if we go to Hagrid’s and hang out,” he grinds out.

Harry stares blankly at him. The way he forcefully said that made it sound like a threat. “Forgive me? I did nothing wrong. I was simply sitting with my friends.”

“Why would you want to sit with those slimy snakes?” snaps Ron. Seamus was wholeheartedly agreeing with him.

“Yeah, you’re Harry Potter! You’re supposed to hate Slytherins!” Seamus growls. “That ruddy Hat was wrong! I think you should be Gryffindor! No, I _know_ you should!”

“You—!” sneers Draco, taking a step forward.

“How could you possibly know that?” Harry simply asks, glancing behind him. A crowd of students wanting to get up the staircase was gathering. “You don’t know me.”

“Yes I do!” snaps Ron. “We’re best friends!”

“Someone’s delusional,” Blaise sneers.

“I have never even _seen_ you until you insulted me on the Hogwarts Express,” Harry snaps back, getting irritated with his former friend.

Ron, having enough of this, whips out his wand. “Those slimy snakes changed your memory! We’ve been friends for years!” He turns his wand to Draco and Harry raises his. Harry was quickly going through which of the spells he had read about should be able to be used by a third year when Ron moves his wand, saying, “Flip—”

“Expelliarmus!” Ron flies backward into Dean and Seamus.

Harry spins around, wand still drawn. He stares as Terence Higgs slowly puts his wand away.

Terence raises an eyebrow. “Flipendo in any form is highly dangerous on a stairwell.” His eyes harden.

“Yes,” an unfamiliar male voice says. A tall boy with dark hair pushes his way to in front of the three Gryffindors. “Which is why, I, as a prefect must report you three boys to the nearest teacher,” the boy says sternly. “Up the stairs with you! McGonagall’s office is fairly close.”

Terence fights a smile. “Thank you, Hilliard,” he says curtly.

Hilliard gives him an annoyed look. “I told you, it’s Robert!” he says hotly before leading Ron, Seamus and Dean away.

“Who was that?” Draco whispers.

“Robert Hilliard,” Terence says, ushering the group of Slytherin first years up the stairs. “He’s a Ravenclaw prefect. Although, he told me the hat had seriously considered Slytherin for him. He sat there for nearly five minutes – almost a hatstall. So now he’s got a soft spot for Slytherins, especially the young’uns. Here you go! The Charms room!”

Harry blinks, not having realized they had walked the rest of the way already. “Why would he protect us? Pretty much everyone else hates us?” he whispers to Terence.

“Hasn’t Gemma already told you?” Terence asks seriously. “We protect our own, even those of us who are snakes in another’s skin. Hilliard knows this and believes in it one hundred percent!”

Draco tugs on Harry’s arm, giving Terence a somewhat angry look. “Thank you,” Harry says quickly, following Draco inside.

He nearly groans when he recognizes the look in Draco’s eyes. The boy was jealous again… Spending two minutes not solely focusing on him was too much time?

Draco leads Harry to the front desk that only sits two people. Draco practically forces Harry into the seat next to him. “So,” he says quickly to try and distract Harry from his odd behavior. “What do you think the next charm we will be learning about will be?”

Harry gives him a _look_ and then shrugs. “I don’t know, but I doubt we will start soon. There are still several people who can’t get the levitation spell.” A few specific Gryffindors float through his mind. “Since we’re only in our first year, I doubt the Professor will move on unless nearly everyone can get it down.”

Draco sighs. “That’s bloody brilliant,” he mutters sarcastically.

Harry snorts and looks away. How to make Draco no longer jealous?

Before he could ponder on this for too long, Draco whispers, “Harry, you never did tell me why Uncle Sev is so rude to you sometimes.”

Harry blinks and thinks back. “Oh yeah,” he mutters. “I did promise to tell you.” He looks around and debates casting muffliato. He mentally shakes his head. There were only Slytherins in the room. “You remember when Snape explained why he was supposed to hate me?” Draco nods. “Well, Dumbledore still believes that is true. We can’t have him thinking _another_ of his plans has fallen through. The man will become unpredictable. He’s dangerous enough.”

Draco nods. “Okay, but is there anyone else who’s supposed to be inherently mean to you?”

Harry shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”

Draco nods. “Good.” He elaborates at Harry’s raised eyebrow. “I wanted to know who else we are supposed to protect you from.”

Harry frowns. This whole protective Slytherins thing will take some getting used to.

“Welcome class!” Flitwick chirps as he hopped into the class. “We will be finishing up on that levitation charm today, hopefully.” He sends a half-glance at Crabbe and Goyle. “If we can get everyone to do it, we’ll be able to move on!”

“You help Crabbe and I’ll help Goyle?” Draco asks Harry.

Harry snorts. “You really want to move on, don’t you?” He doesn’t wait for an answer before turning around to see if he could help Crabbe.


End file.
